Bestiae Mortis
by wolfvonbiele93
Summary: Harry is sentenced to Azkaban for crimes he didn't commit. Two years later, he's proven innocent and taken to America with Hermione. While there, he meets the one thing he'd always wanted: a soulmate. Pairings and full sum inside. YAOI and Lemons!
1. Chapter 1

_Bestiae Mortis Summary: Harry is framed for the deaths of his muggle guardians, and was sent to Azkaban with three life sentences. All of his friends and family, save a select few, turned their backs on him, along with the rest of the wizarding world. He entered the prison stripped of his inheritance and his freewill, filled with revenge and anger. Two years later, he is proven innocent, and taken out of his cell by his god parents before Dumbledore could get to him. They whisk him away with Hermione to America, where he enters a new school, and meets someone he never expected and had never had the courage to hope for: his soul mate. But, everyone knows your past always comes back to haunt you…Major pairings: HarryxOMC, HermionexOMC, RemusxSirius (I guess that makes it an AU, considering Siri is not dead…) Minor pairings: LunaxNeville, FredxGeorge Warnings: Slash, lemons, some violence, Bad!Weasleys (minus Fred and George), Bad!Dumbles, Bad!Ministry, Bad!Voldy, obvious incest_

_Italics_ = flashback

* * *

_Chapter 1: Innocentia Confirmata_

Harry, or inmate 90696507, as he was now called, sighed and stared blankly out of his cell room, eying every Dementor that glided past crossly. Cold chills raced through him as they passed by; they were only constant thing in this hellhole besides the beatings (he had the bruises and cuts to prove it). He shifted, the dirty rags serving as a poor excuse for a prison uniform rustling over his skinny frame, and ran a hand through his long locks – they had grown so much since he had been dragged to this place – to get out the nasty tangles, pulling a few strands of his greasy hair out in the process. It was a wonder he still had hair; at this rate he should be bald. No one cared if the prisoners showered regularly. They were horrible enough to be in Azkaban; they could rot in their own filth if the wizarding world had any say in it. His eyes narrowed at the thought of the people he had once called his friends and family.

They had betrayed him, with the exception of a select few, namely Hermione, the twins, Luna, Neville, Remus, and Sirius. Everyone else, even the Order, had condemned him as a murderer and a Voldemort-supporter. He remembered the trial – or lack there of – like it was yesterday…

_"Order! Order in this court! Whoever speaks next will be sent out!" Fudge called out over the crowd of naysayers and supporters that dotted the room. The voices instantly hushed, and all eyes turned to the minister in anticipation. The minister paused for suspense, his gaze traveling around the room. Finally, it landed on the green gaze of the young man in question, who looked back with nothing short of contempt. "I, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, find Harry James Potter guilty of the murder of Mrs. Petunia Dursely nee Evans, Mr. Vernon Dursely, and Mr. Dudley Dursely by use of one or more of the Unforgivable Curses. I hereby sentence you to three life sentences in Azkaban Prison. You will be relieved of your wand, and your possessions – especially the rights to the Potter vault in Gringotts Wizarding Bank – will be given to Albus Dumbledore," Fudge told._

_The room erupted into shouts of anger mixed with joy. Harry could only stare blankly at the minister in shock. How could this have happened? He may have hated the Dursleys, but not enough to use Avada Kedavra or a Cruciatus curse on them. Those spells were horrible and inhumane, and even if they had been horrible to him, no one deserved to die that way. They had to know he had seen Voldemort use them too many times to ever think of using it on a human being, and much less a defenseless Muggle. He had tried to stop their deaths, damnit! But the real killers had had the element of surprise on their side, and he had been overtaken quickly. However, no one would believe him if he told the truth. The evidence, it seemed, was too solid to sway them._

_Fudge walked forward and held his hands out to the nearest Auror. "His wand, please?" She placed the wand into the minister's hand. He held it in his hands, pointer fingers and thumbs on each end. He looked Harry right in the eye and snapped the wand in half. A green light wafted out from the crack, turning into a golden mist before evaporating into the air. Harry gasped in pain, feeling like a piece of his soul had been ripped out of him._

_"You monster!" Remus cried from behind him. Fudge turned to him with a smirk._

_"I'll have you know, Mr. Lupin, that this boy here is the monster in this situation; deceiving us all into believing he was a good boy, when in fact he was evil all along." he turned to Harry once more. "Take him away." Fudge waved his hand dismissively and an Auror, one whom he did not know, and Kingsley grabbed him by the arm. They drug him out the room, facing the roaring sea of witches and wizards. His eyes caught Hermione's, which were glazed over with tears. _

_"Harry!" she cried, trying to run to him and stop them somehow. His godfather stopped her, and their gazes also caught. He could see the sadness in his eyes, and the determination._

_"Don't worry Harry; we'll get you out somehow!" he mouthed. Beside him, Remus nodded and moved over to help his best friend console the sobbing witch, who would not look away from him for the life of her. Fred and George came up behind and engulfed her in a hug, a sad smile on their faces as they try to cheer her up. Luna and Neville held each other close beside the grieving group as the double doors swung closed in front of his eyes._

That horrible scene, his friends consoling each other for their loss, had been the last thing he had seen of them before he had been tossed into his cell and been given his inmate number.

Ron Weasley, his former best friend and most frequent adversary as of late, had been relaying story after story of how Harry had hated the Dursleys and wished he didn't have to live with them since Harry was made a suspect. Apparently his accounts had been more than enough to make him guilty in the Ministry's eyes. No one commented on the fact that the Dursleys had treated him like a slave or that they had hated him; they were seen as the saintly victims of a troubled child tainted by the influence of dark magic. And, when Fudge had used the Priori Incantato spell on his wand, it had showed three uses of the Killing Curse and one of the Cruciatus, used on his Aunt Petunia before her death. That just proved their worst fears: the Boy-Who-Lived was a murderer, a la Voldemort.

The Weasleys, with the exception of Fred and George, had rallied behind their youngest male, including Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, the woman who could have been a second mother to him. Arthur had seemed completely nonplussed, though his storming eyes betrayed him.

Ginny – the young girl he had almost come to love – had not wanted to hear his pleas of innocence and had completely shut him out, even slamming the door to the Burrow on him once. Bill and Charlie had merely been disappointed and had refused to speak to him, and Percy had long since become a drone of the Ministry. The family he had almost had had turned their backs on him.

Dumbledore, even, had played a hand in his capture, having someone hold him as he alerted the Ministry of his presence. His own mentor, the man he had trusted with his life, had betrayed him in such a way. He had been crippled at first by this, but his supporters had helped him feel much more confident, but in vain. Here he was in prison, while they were free, spending his money and shaking their head at such a "horrid disappointment," as the _Daily Prophet_ had put it. That day was only two years ago; he was amazed he was still (relatively) sane. He figured he was like his godfather; he had his quirks, but he could still function in a normal society.

The Dementors plagued him every day with images of his parents' deaths, and the deaths of his mother's family. His link with Voldemort was still going strong, but his attacks had died down in the last few years. He had no idea why and, with his outlook on life changed, he honestly did not care. But still, no matter how many things they tried to do to bring him down, he always came back strong.

"Prisoner 90696507, get your lazy ass up," A guard snarled near his cell door. He did not move, waiting to see how the guard would react. "Get up! You have visitors."

He yanked Harry up by his forearm and forced the prisoner to stand. Harry carefully blanked out his conscious, and his usually sparkling eyes dulled to a murky green, void of emotion. He could see the guard shiver, and he muttered something that sounded like "I don't get paid enough for this shit."

He smirked behind the fringe of hair that had fallen in front of his face. He had allowed his body to go limp, so that the guard had to support him, out of spite and necessity. Anyone could be on the other side of the door, and – if it was one of his enemies – he'd rather they didn't know he was sane enough to be of any use. He still had a prophecy to fulfill, after all. The couplet staggered to the front of the prison and the guard threw him into the waiting room. The guard went to the door and opened it, throwing light into the room and forcing him to retreat into the shadows to save his eyes, weakened by the dim lighting in his cell.

* * *

Sirius Black glanced over at his companion and best friend, Remus Lupin. This was certainly a side of Remus he had never seen before; he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with nervous energy. His beautiful blue eyes shifted places constantly, never focusing on one thing at a time. However, it was no surprise that the man was like that; today was the day they were going to release a Mr. Harry Potter from Azkaban Prison. His poor godson had had to deal with two years of Dementor torment (he had dealt with much more, but he had been an adult for some time when he was imprisoned; Harry had only been at the tender age of sixteen. He was an adult _now_, but someone so young should not have to enter adulthood off his rocker; it was hard enough sane).

The both of them were afraid that he would be too far gone to do anything, but they were getting him out either way; he was innocent, no matter his state of mind. A few hours ago, Peter Pettigrew – who was currently the subject of a manhunt after he disappeared upon the confession that he'd framed Sirius – had been captured and confessed under Veritaserum (which had not been used on his poor godson) that he and some other Death Eaters had killed the Dursleys and framed Harry. He had relished the look on Dumbledore's and all the others' faces when they learned the truth that he and the others had known from the start.

_Peter sat in the middle of Fudge's office. All around him stood the Order – including the Weasleys, Remus, Hermione, and Sirius – the Minister himself, a few Aurors, Dumbledore, and the staff of Hogwarts. The headmaster stood before the rat, glaring down at him. Severus Snape had just given him the Veritaserum, and Dumbledore was about to begin his interrogation._

_"What is your name?"_

_"Peter Pettigrew."_

_"Are you a Death Eater?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Have you killed anyone by the Dark Lord's order, using one or more of the Unforgivable curses?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Please name your victims."_

_"Cedric Diggory, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, and Dudley Dursley."_

_Shocked gasps erupted around the room, and Dumbledore's eyes widened comically. All of Harry's supporters present shared a triumphant look, as his adversaries' faces grew more and more troubled as time went on._

_"You must be mistaken, Peter; __**Harry**__ killed the Dursley," Albus said tightly, praying it was true._

_"No; the Dark Lord sent me and two other Death Eaters to kill them while Harry was away grocery shopping. It was the perfect plan, but that brat came back and tried to stop us; we were able to incapacitate him and use his wand to cast the spells. It was too easy!" Peter told, cackling madly._

_"Mr. Snape, please tell me there was something wrong with your potion," Dumbledore pleaded._

_"Are you questioning my skills as a potions master, Albus?" he snarled. "I assure you, there was nothing that I did wrong."_

_Albus bowed his head._

_"Get him out of here. See to it that he is on trial soon," Albus ground out, frustrated._

_The Aurors scrambled to get Wormtail out of the Headmaster's sight. Albus turned toward his audience, noting the shocked faces, as well as those that chose to glare at him, their faces clearly accusing him._

_"It seems we have made a grave mistake; Harry Potter is…innocent."_

It had been beautiful to see them slowly realize they had done the unforgivable, but all hell had broken loose afterwards.

_"Oh Merlin," Molly Weasley gasped. Tears begin to gather in her eyes and dripped down her cheeks._

_"And we all turned against him." she turned to her husband and sobbed in his arms._

_"Not all of us, Mum. Only you all," Fred said suddenly, stepping away from his shocked family with his twin._

_The red heads looked at the twins in shock._

_"What do you-?"_

_"We were the ones who stood by him," George started._

_"When none of you would," Fred continued._

_"You called us insane,"_

_"Daft,"_

_"Foolish,"_

_"And gave us those pitying looks,"_

_"Like we were as guilty in your eyes as Harry." _

_"But you were wrong,"_

_"And now you must face the consequences." The twins turned away from them, clearly angry with their family._

_Ginny and Molly begin to sob, knowing that it was true._

_"I agree. I don't believe a pissed off, possibly insane, Harry Potter would be a good enemy to have. Don't you agree, Sirius?" Remus said, turning to his best mate with a Marauder-esque twinkle in his eye, the same as when they pulled pranks back when they were still in school. Sirius smirked and nodded._

_"Quite."_

_"We must go get him! Maybe we can earn his forgiveness!" Ginny cried._

_Hermione stepped up to the red-head and slapped her. Ginny balked at her, cradling her stinging cheek. "You all turned your backs on him, blocked out his cries for help. You have no right to ask for forgiveness!" the young witch glared at the red-head. "I won't let you hurt him again." She spun on her heels and walked to the door._

_"Hermione, wait!" Ron called, grabbing her arm to stop her._

_"Get off me, Ronald!"_

_"But, 'Mione, I-!" she whirled on him and pressed her wand to his throat. The red-head froze in fear._

_"You forfeited the right to use that nickname the moment you turned on Harry." She spun away._

_"Hermione, wait!" Remus cried, running up to her. The twins and Sirius followed him._

_"Yes, Remus?" her voice had gotten weary after confronting Ron. She really had loved him…_

_"We shall go with you." They answered._

_She smiled gratefully and said "Thanks."_

_The group walked out of the Ministry together, the twins' arms about her shoulders to comfort her, and the older friends bringing up the rear. They closed the door, leaving behind a shocked Order and Headmaster. _

They had flooed to 12 Grimmauld Place, and decided amongst themselves that they would send the twins and Hermione to the _Quibbler _so that Luna's father could have the story out first, and a much more honest one than the one at the _Daily Prophet_, and Luna and Neville could find out of his innocence, while he and Remus went to Azkaban to pick up Harry before the Ministry or the Order could get to him.

So here they were, awaiting their meeting with Harry after two years. Azkaban loomed before them, dark and ominous. He could see Remus shiver to his left, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Remus smiled gratefully at him and the two walked to the door. Sirius rapped his knuckles on the door twice. It swung open to reveal a human guard, whose face is scrunched up in annoyance. At the sight of Sirius, it molded into a smirk.

"Never would've expected to see you back, Black," The guard said.

"I'm here for my godson," Sirius told impatiently.

"Alright, I guess you can see him-"

"We're here to get him _out_," Remus interrupted. The guard looked down his nose at the werewolf, raising an eyebrow.

"Really now?" he bent down to look Remus in the eye, his tone condescending, as if he thought Remus was a fool. Remus bristled at the look, holding his gaze steadily.

"Yes; he's been proven innocent." The guard straightened and stared him down to see if he was bluffing.

"Where's your proof?" The guard asked.

"This." Sirius held up an official looking parchment. He and the twins (with a little coerced help from Hermione) had created a rather convincing (but fake) order for Harry's release, and signed it with Fudge's signature. The guard grabbed it and ran his gaze down the paper. It looked…_official_ enough. He nodded as if satisfied.

"Alright, I'll bring him to you." He disappeared behind the closed doors. Remus and Sirius looked at each other incredulously with one thought on their minds: _what just happened?_ Thankfully they only had to wait for a few more minutes before the guard reappeared.

"Come on in." He opened the door to allow them in, and the two moved inside to greet Harry, throwing light through the door.

* * *

A/N: So here is a little experiment of mine. I've seen so many of them, and figured that I'd try it. If there's any problems please message me. Most people put a teacher with Harry, with Harry as the submissive one, but I've decided that it's hotter if the teacher is the submissive, so that's what I'm gonna do. If anyone doesn't like it, then they can go find another fic!

P.S.: the title is literally translated as 'Innocence Proven.' Read and Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_"Come on in." He opened the door to allow them in, and the two move inside to greet Harry, throwing light through the door…_

* * *

_Chapter 2: Libertas Conluctatus Captivitati_

Remus and Sirius stepped softly through the doorway, peeking in almost sheepishly. They could barely see a shadowed form in the darkest part of the room, keeping away from the light as much as possible. They closed the door and the shadow seemed to relax.

"Harry?" Remus questioned gently towards the figure. It said nothing, staying perfectly still in the corner of the room.

"Can you leave us alone for the moment?" Sirius murmured to the guard pointedly. He looked like he was going to protest for a second, but he decided against it, backing out of the room. They started when they heard a relieved sigh.

"Thought he'd never leave," A raspy voice – as if unused – rang through the room. The shadow stood tall, almost as tall as Sirius, and walked towards them. Remus muttered _Lumos_ under his breath and a light washed over a small circle of the room around them.

"Harry?" he breathed. The shadow stepped forward into the light, and Remus gasped in surprise.

It was most definitely Harry; they would know the eyes of Lily Potter anywhere. These, however, sparkled very faintly with bags beneath them. His face was sunken and deathly pale, as if he hadn't had enough to eat. Which, in retrospect of the moment he saw Sirius for the first time back from prison, Remus realized he probably hadn't. Small scrapes dotted his face, and his bottom lip had been split. His clothes hung off his thin frame, made even thinner by his growth spurt, which made him look like skin stretched over bones. Greasy hair ran down to his shoulders – which had broadened even under such horrible conditions – looking a little worse for wear. Apparently, Azkaban had been a little harder on the Boy-Who-Lived than they had thought.

"Merlin, Harry." Sirius gasped, engulfing the man in a hug. Harry tensed in surprise – unused to any sort of gentleness since his imprisonment – before relaxing and awkwardly wrapping his arms around his godfather. Remus smiled and did the same when Sirius finally pulled away.

"It's nice to see you two again." He coughed roughly, bending over and hacking. Remus and Sirius looked at each other worriedly. Thank goodness they had gotten here when they did. He didn't seem like he would last much longer in here.

"Harry, we came to get you out. You've been proven innocent, cub..." Remus stated proudly. Harry glanced back and forth between the two, his eyes seeming shinier than normal. His shoulders started to shake.

"Please tell me this isn't a joke…" he practically whimpered, slouching forward.

"Of course not, Harry; Wormtail was captured and confessed under Veritaserum a few weeks ago. You're free to go." Remus said gently, pulling the trembling boy to his chest. Harry clutched his shirt and did the one thing he had been unable to do for so long: cry. And _hard_. His shoulders jerked with the force of his sobs. "Sh, cub. It's all over now…" Remus soothed, rubbing circles on his back. Sirius came up behind them, wrapping his arms around his godson and his – well, not yet – Remus gently. Remus rested his chin on Harry's head as the eighteen year old released his relief, thankful for the dim light to hide his blush at the embrace. Now was _not_ the time to fawn over Sirius, especially since the man was merely comforting his godson. Harry slowly stopped his tears, wiping his eyes with a bony hand.

"Thank you so much." He pulled away gently from their group hug, straightening himself out. "I think I drenched your shirt, Remus." He said with a laugh that seemed painful. Remus laughed.

"Don't be; you deserve to cry." He went to the door. "Now, however, we must go before Dumbledore and the Order shows up." At Harry's confused look, Sirius cut in.

"We'll explain later, Harry. Besides, there are certain people who are just dying to see you again, especially a certain witch." His eyes were lit up mischievously. Harry's face lightened immediately and he smiled for the first time in two years with chapped lips. Remus made a mental note to have Hermione get some nourishment potions for Harry's recovery before he grabbed his arm. Sirius nodded and the two disapparated out of from the prison just as the guard ran in, having just realized what they were about to do.

The surroundings changed from the dingy room of Azkaban to the library in 12 Grimmauld Place. The three occupants in the room stopped in shock as they took stock of those who had apparated in with a loud crack. Hermione was the first to recover, her eyes widening in happiness.

"Harry!" she practically tackled the poor ex-convict just as he had righted himself from the apparition (he never could get that right…). He stumbled and struggled to support himself, wrapping his arms around her as well. His grip was not as tight, but just as enthusiastic.

"It's good to see you again, too, 'Mione." He rasped happily with another smile.

"Harry!" the twins cried at the same time. Suddenly, the thin man was engulfed in warm bodies.

"G-guys! I n-need to breathe!" he gasped. They pulled away to let him breathe, as he asked, and to finally get a look at him.

"Oh, Harry, you're so thin…" Hermione murmured remorsefully.

"Uh, y-yeah-"

"We should really get Moony,"

"To make him some of that,"

"Amazing stew we had last night."

"It would do him some good." They finished together.

"I could, if that's what you want, Harry." The werewolf turned to the prodigy.

"Um, yes, I would like some good food, please." Remus smiled happily.

"Good, Hermione, could you make him some nourishment potions to speed up his recovery? The books are on the left shelves somewhere, in the Healer section. Sirius, could you help me in the kitchen?"

"Of course, Moony." He smiled winningly, walking past Remus and therefore missing the blush on his cheeks. Harry, however, did not, and smiled secretively. Matchmaker time.

"What's with the smile, Harry?" Fred teased, appearing out of nowhere and startling the young man.

"God, don't do that again." He placed his hand on his chest as his pulse slowed down. Fred grinned but waited patiently for the answer. "Well, I just realized something about a certain Moony and Padfoot."

"You mean that they're nuts for each other?" Harry nodded.

"Well, you a little late, mate,"

"We've had to deal with them dancing around each other,"

"Ever since we moved here after your trial."

"They haven't had any progress in their relationship?"

"Nope." Harry nodded worriedly. Hermione grabbed their attention by dropping a huge tome – _Healing for the New Comer_ by C. Onvalesce – on the library table. It landed with a loud thump.

"What is it, 'Scare Harry Day,' or something?" he huffed, crossing his arms.

"Of course." Hermione shot him a smile that the elder Marauders would be proud of. "Now come over here so we can fix you up." He walked slowly over to the table and leaned against it. She yanked the tome open and flipped through the pages. "Aha! Here it is. Fred, George, get me a cauldron, a ladle, and-"

Harry tuned her out as he glanced around the library, standing slowly and walking over to another section. This shelf was filled with hundred of books, as was the rest of the room, but these were all on magical creatures, from werewolves and goblins to unicorns and ogres. His eyes lit up excitedly; he had loved Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts as much as DADA, and not because Hagrid was teaching it. He seemed to have a way with them. Since he had spent what should have been his last year in Azkaban, he had started to miss the animals, especially Buckbeak. He pulled out a book on elves, labeled _Elves: Things You Didn't Know_, by Alicia Forester.

He turned to the Table of Contents, running his finger down the list. Here was an interesting one…he turned to a section labeled Mating Rituals.

_Normal elves – not to be confused with house elves – reach puberty at the age of 200, which is why some people see elves as aloof, if not asexual creatures. However, elves are known to have exceptional sexual prowess when they have reached adulthood; their pleasing appearances help them find mates efficiently._

_Their pointed ears can be a source of immense pleasure, when in the right hands. Elves are generally sensitive, however; it does not take much to seduce a post-pubescent elf. Elves are not hung up on humanity's problems: same-sex relationships are excepted and quite common, both "gay" and "lesbian" relationships. Elves mate for life, and they will know their mate at first sight._

_Elves can either be dominant or submissive; it all depends on their personality, like humans. However, once a male elf becomes the submissive partner, he can give birth through spells and rituals that an elven elder proctor can tell him. Then his body will form a birth canal like a female's womb. It will disappear after the birth, and reappear when the spell is cast again. It does not change the gender of the elf; in a sense, the elf will become a hermaphrodite —_

"Earth to Harry!" Hermione cried, cutting him off. He snapped his gaze to her in surprise. Where had she come from?

"Y-yes?" he stammered, quickly closing the book before she could see what he had been reading. She raised an eyebrow but shook it off. His health was much more important.

"Come with me; your first potion is ready." He nodded and returned the book back to its shelf, making a mental note to check it out again. He had found it really interesting. The two walked back out to the table and Hermione pushed him into a chair. She carefully ladled some of the steaming liquid into a tube and handed it to him. He scrunched up his nose at the smell but downed it while pinching his nose to keep out the putrid scent. Instantly he felt better; he could feel a sudden energy in his body, hell in his very cells. Just sitting here seemed so overrated…he jumped up suddenly and opened his mouth to say something, only to have a wave of dizziness to wash over him. He swayed and Hermione had to catch him before he hurt himself.

"Take it easy, Harr. You need to let the potion work through you before you start to move." He nodded, moaning when his vision swam again. She giggled softly.

"Harr?" he teased when he had finally gotten a hold of himself.

"It's just a nickname." Hermione said, gently flicking his forehead, not enough to hurt, of course. He smiled at the easy familiarity between the two of them; he had been slightly afraid that two years without speaking would make their relationship awkward, but apparently that wasn't a problem.

However, there was still a problem on his mind, one that he knew would worry the others – recently, he had been having psychotic episodes. They usually happened when he dreamt; they occurred in the form of sleepwalking, which he had always had, and the nightmares only made it worse. At the Dursleys' – bless their souls – he had always had a locked door to stop him, reinforced later on with wards to stop him from getting out with wandless magic. Now it was worse; more violent, and now there were no ward-guarded doors…he really should tell Remus and Sirius.

"You all right?" Harry snapped out of his trance – a usual occurrence after his imprisonment – to look up into Hermione's worried brown eyes.

"Hm? Yes, I'm alright." He smiled reassuringly at her. She smiled back, obviously unconvinced, but says nothing. She would definitely need to tell Remus and Sirius about that. His expression had been..._unnerving_. It was so empty, like there really was nothing going on in his mind. Not something she wanted to relive.

Harry glanced at the twins, noticing the silent worry in their faces. Fred sat half way on the table and George sat on a chair beside him, his shoulder very close to his brother's thigh. _Interesting_...

"So, how ya feeling, Harry?" Fred asked.

"...Better, definitely."

"Good; there will be more of those to come after dinner." Hermione said in her best teacher voice. Harry groaned in mock annoyance, earning a swipe that he dodged rather quickly.

"But, mate, you really need to take a shower."

"Aye; we love you like you're our brother," George nodded in agreement.

"And we've had an interesting run with those," Harry winced.

"But, you're starting to smell." Hermione burst into a fit of giggles as Harry's face took on a rather interesting shade of red.

"Well, excuse _me_ for not getting a shower every day; I was in prison for two damn years, thank you." he pouted and crossed his arms. The twins laughed at his reaction.

"We're just messing with ya mate."

"But really, Harry, you should take a bath." Hermione said gently, worriedly. He looked better, but had so many cuts that could get infected, and she didn't want him to catch a fever. His weak body wouldn't be able to fight it off, and she didn't want him to die before his time.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Where is one?"

"Up stairs, down the hall and to the right." Harry nodded and followed her instructions.

"And you two." Hermione whirled to face them. The two froze in fear. The young witch could be really scary when she wanted to be.

"Yes?" Fred squeaked.

"You're gonna help me look for the ingredients for Harry's other potions." a harmonious groan followed her statement. "Oh hush and move yourselves. We have to make them before dinner." They sighed and threw themselves to their feet dramatically. She rolled her eyes and began to lead them to the ingredients.

* * *

Remus glanced up as he heard footsteps on the stairs near the kitchen.

"Must be Harry." Sirius commented mildly, glancing at the contents of the container in his hand. Well, it looked like salt. He tilted it toward the bowl, only to be stopped by Remus's hand on his. Whoa...his mind had gone on stand by, wrapped up in the feeling of the warm hand on his.

"That's not salt, Sirius. It's flour." Sirius smiled sheepishly and placed the container back onto the counter.

"Maybe you should do it." Remus laughed.

"Maybe I should." Sirius chuckled as well, stepping back from the counter and choosing to sit and watch the werewolf move about the kitchen. It was amazing watching him cook; people may call him clumsy and awkward, but he was downright _graceful_ when he was creating such food masterpieces. The way he seemed to practically dance to his own beat, feet as light as a feather. Wonderful sight, truly.

"Just a few more ingredients...there it's done!" he spun around to Sirius with a delighted smile. Sirius smiled back; the two continue to stare at each other. Getting lost in each other's eyes...

"Hey, Moony! Sirius!" the twins burst through the door, startling them out of their reveries. Remus snapped his gaze away, a dark blush tainting his cheeks. Sirius also had a blush on his face, although much lighter than the werewolf's.

"Y-yes, boys?"

"Is dinner almost ready?"

"Yes. Gather the others, and we'll get the table ready."

"Harry's taking a shower."

"He should be down soon."

"All right, we'll wait for him." that would give the soup enough time to simmer just a bit more. Remus waved his hand and the spoon began to stir the soup slowly.

"We'll go tell Hermione." the red heads ducked back out of the kitchen.

An awkward silence descended on the duo.

"So..." Sirius ventured.

"Yeah..." Remus rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at his feet. He had never noticed how interesting they were...

"I'll just...go check on Harry."

"Yeah, you do that." Sirius stood and quickly walked out of the kitchen past Remus. Remus plopped himself down into the chair that Sirius had occupied moments before, burying his face into his palm. It was official.

He was hopeless.

* * *

Sirius's steps echoed as he walked up the steps, shaking his head at himself. Where was the dating prowess he had had during his years at Hogwarts? He had been a heartthrob; girls (and some boys) had practically fallen all over him with just a mildly interested look sent their way. Of course, Remus had always been a special case. The quiet, gentle, beautiful boy who had a surprising knack for making the most wonderful pranks had always interested him, from the moment their eyes had caught on the train.

He had been the one to convince James to accept him, and they had been inseparable ever since. And he had proven to be the best friend anybody could ask for, even if he did believe he was guilty. _Everyone_ had – the ministry had quite a history of convincing the faithful – and the werewolf had spent weeks apologizing before Sirius had finally got it through his head that he forgave him.

They knew everything about each other, so why was it so hard for to just say a simple sentence? To just confess how he felt?

Emotions were so _frustrating_!

During his mental monologue, he had ended up at the closest bathroom from the library without thinking. He really knew the house too well. He pressed his ear to the thick door. Sounds of running water reached his ears.

"Harry?" he called through the door.

"Sirius, is that you?"

"Yeah. Are you almost done?"

"Yeah. Be out in a minute!"

"Alright. Do you need some new clothes?" the water stopped spraying, and the door opened just a crack. Tendrils of steam wafted out the crack between the door and the wall and swirled around the Marauder's feet.

"That would be much appreciated." Harry said sheepishly, poking his head through.

"Alright, I'll bring you some of mine. You're certainly tall enough." He ruffled Harry's hair.

"Yeah." Harry said with a laugh.

"Go get dried off. I'll be back with them soon." the door closed and the prodigy disappeared. Sirius spun away and walked to his room, stopping and rummaging through his dresser for some pants. Maybe these? No, too dressy. Hm...These? It would have to do. Now for a shirt...He crossed to his closet and ran through the shirts on hangers. He smiled and took out a t-shirt. Hermione had dragged him to a Muggle store to 'update his wardrobe' last year (apparently, his clothes were out of style), but he rarely ever wore the clothes they bought. He had ended up with a simple t-shirt and a pair of not-too-fancy pants for the young man. He smiled in satisfaction. Apparently you can teach old dogs new tricks.

He walked back out into the hallway and knocked on the door. It opened and a hand poked through, palm up, expectantly. He placed the clothing pile in his hand and it disappeared behind the door with a click. He smirked slightly and had to put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing when he hears a symphony of rustling and loud bangs followed by some colorful expletives.

"Are you alright in there?"

"Y-yeah!" Harry answered quickly. The door opened soon after and Harry exited, looking slightly flushed. Sirius smiled; his clothes looked like they were made for him. Sure they hung off him, but that was just because he hadn't had much to eat. With Remus's cooking, he should be back to normal in no time. Speaking of Remus's cooking…

"Harry, dinner is almost ready. We should probably go back down stairs."

"Alright, let's go." Harry took the lead and walked down the stairs. However, Sirius stopped at the top, glancing down the case warily. Harry made it down the first few steps before he realized that Sirius was not following him. He turned to his godfather in concern.

"Sirius, you coming?" the man rolled his shoulders back as if preparing himself for something and smiles at his godson.

"Yes, Harry, just got…lost in thought." Harry raised an eyebrow, but shook it off. He knew the feeling. The man descended until he was instep with Harry and they walked in sync all the way to the kitchen. Sirius opened the door politely for Harry, and followed him in afterwards. Inside, Remus was just finishing dolling out soup for everyone. Hermione and the twins sat around the dining room table – a new addition since Remus and the others moved in. The Black family table had been one of those cliché ones you see in Muggle movies: long, with about one hundred feet (1) between each end. Perfect for ruining any sort of emotional attachment between those dining (his family was very adept at doing that). All occupants looked up when they walk in, smiling brightly when they land on Harry.

"Harry, you look so much better! Hermione, your potion did wonders for him." Remus commented proudly. The young witch beamed from the praise. Sirius was glad Remus was acting like nothing happened between them; he would hate to have to relive the silence from before, especially in front of the children.

And truly, Harry did look better. His hair had regained much of its sheen, and looked much healthier. In a few washes, it may be back to its original quality. His skin looked much better, some of the color had returned to his once ashen face. The clothes that Sirius had given him looked quite nice on his broader shoulders, although they still looked like they lacked muscle capacity. His eyes had also acquired some of their original twinkle, the playfulness they knew the Marauder's son for had slowly started to come back, with a little of magical and emotional help. All in all, he looked like he would be the Harry Potter they knew and loved very soon.

"Thank you, Remus. But, apparently I put too much ginkgo biloba (2) in it; he had a burst of energy that almost made him pass out."

"Hm…but he still seems to have recovered quite well. His body may have overreacted due to its already weak state."

"I guess you could be right…"

"Don't worry, 'Mione!" Fred popped in.

"He'll be fine." The twins shared a nod and Hermione's face broke out into a smile once again. Harry shook his head; he could never understand how the smartest witch of their year could be so self-conscious about her potions work. He decided he would do what he always did: blame Snape and move on.

"All right, everyone, time for dinner." Remus ushered the two of them into their seats and placed a bowl before them. He sat himself at one end of the table, with Harry and Hermione one side of him and the twins on the other. Sirius sat across from him, at the other end. "Don't be shy; dig in!" Remus smiled as the young adults do just that, and he and Sirius follow. The Black heir smiled as he watches the group eating and joking. Like a real family.

However, he noticed that Harry was eating very little, only sipping lightly and jumping into the conversation (something about the twins' joke shop) every once in a while. He leaned over to his godson and beckoned him closer.

"Yes, Sirius?"

"Something the matter Harry?"

"My stomach's just not up to too much food right now." Sirius nodded in understanding. He had been the same way when he returned from Azkaban.

Remus chuckled at something the twins had said, something about stick of gum that turns the chewers tongue purple with yellow polka dots, glancing over at Harry worriedly. He really needed to address the matter now, before he forgot. It had been weighing on his mind for some time, and he had to get it out in the open. Once the laughter died down, he placed his spoon on the table, lacing his fingers together and laying his chin upon them. Everyone quickly understood the change in mood, and all eyes turned to him. He briefly exchanged a look with Hermione, his confidant in the matter (he had been afraid that Sirius would be angry when he found out about what the others had been doing while Harry was away) – who gave him an encouraging nod – and looked back to the man.

"Harry, there's something I need to talk to you about…"

* * *

So there you have it! 8-9 pages full of mundane activities and dialogue, along with one helluva cliff hanger. Not the best but, whatever. But, I put a little more RemyxSiri stuff in there, and don't you worry, Weasleycest fans; The FredxGeorge thing will happen, just a little later on. Also, send me some messages on who you think should be the seme with them; it could be either, so I need some fan interaction to help me out.

Don't you just love foreshadowing? Cookies to anyone who can spot it!

Here are the explanations to the footnotes:

No.1: I'm an American and shall use the American number system. If there is anyone who can tell the metric equivalent of hundred feet, and using it really bothers you guys, I'll change it. Until then, feet it shall stay.

No.2: Gingko Biloba is a common ingrefient in energy drinks that helps with circulation, memory rentention, concentration, depression, and Alzheimers. I figured that sense it helped with depression, it would make him feel energetic and – since his circulation is going strong – his blood would be pumping pretty good. (info from .com/energy-drink-ingredients/comment-page-10, not my brain).

Translation: 'Freedom Having been Wrestled from Captivity'


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Lily's little "take me instead" speech comes almost straight from the Harry Potter Wiki, which quotes J.K. Rowling. Not mine! And I'm sorry if the dream is bad; it came straight my brain. Message me for any mistakes!

* * *

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_"Harry, there's something I need to talk to you about…"_

* * *

_Chapter 3: Mala Somna et Mala Nuntia_

Harry raised an eyebrow at the sudden serious tone from the older man.

"Yes, Remus? What is it?"

"Well, there have been some things that have come to my attention since you've been gone."

"Such as?" Why was he dodging the issue?

"Well, you remember that, at your trial, your vault was given to Dumbledore?"

"Yes…" he said slowly, his tone clearly urging the man to get to the point.

"Well, it seems that there are some new items that are showing up on the persons of the Weasley family, ones that they should not be able to afford. I believe that Dumbledore may be dipping into your funds for these items to give to them – no offense, Fred, George."

"None taken." Fred turned to Harry with sorrowful eyes. "It's true, Harry. Dumbles gave some money to Ginny,"

"Something about a reward for helping with your capture,"

"Or as condolences for 'falling in love with a madman.' Isn't that how he put it, George?"

"Aye, the rest of the family, too."

"He even tried to give some to us, but we declined it."

"Mum and Dad took it instead. If it's any consolation,"

"They spent it on useful stuff,"

"It was the others who blew it." Harry nodded, grateful that the twins had stayed so loyal.

"How the hell could the Ministry have allowed that to happen?" Sirius snarled. Remus glanced up at him. He had been right; he did get angry.

"He was a convict; it wasn't illegal," Hermione said gently. She knew how sensitive Sirius was about Harry's situation.

"Hermione is right. But there may be a way to fix this." The attention turned back to him.

"We can go to Gringotts and secretly get the vault back in your name. We can also see how much money was actually spent, and maybe the bank will reimburse you." Harry nodded, happy for the solution. Maybe everything would be okay…

"Are you sure the others won't know?"

"They won't know what hit them. Also, Sirius and I were talking, and we believe we may have a solution to any issues about your inheritance."

"Oh?" Sirius and Remus shared a look.

"Well, we want to change our wills so that you are our joint heir."

"Y-you guys can't be serious," Harry gasped.

"Absolutely. While I may not have anything monetarily to give you, after the deaths of your parents I was made secret keeper for the Marauders. I have quite a few mementos that I know James and Lily would want you to have."

"And the Black family vault, along with the Potter vault, which will be put back into your possession, will more than take care of you and your future descendants," Sirius cut in, with a confirming nod from Remus. Harry glanced back and forth between the elders, a look of shock and disbelief.

"What if either of you have any children?" Hermione said worriedly. _Or the both of them_…she knew herself that the two were meant for each other. With magic, anything could happen…

"Well, we can change it again, but we want to make sure that you can be well taken care of, Harry. You deserve it after all you've went through."

"I…I don't know what to say…" that was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. Remus smiled calmly.

"All you have to do is agree." Harry glanced over at Sirius as he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Once again, tears began to burn in the corner of his eyes.

"Twice you two have made me cry," He said with a watery laugh, wiping his eyes. Hermione and the twins shared a warm glance, happy that someone was taking good care of the young man, something the Dursley's or Dumbledore had never done, "But, at least they weren't for horrible reasons." He straightened himself once more. "So, when will the switch be made, and the everything fixed?"

"Tomorrow, if you're up for it." Harry nodded, smiling slightly.

"Now, let's eat, mates!" Fred exclaimed.

"No more of this seriousness!"

"You've had too much of it."

"Aye," The twins raised their glasses for a toast. "To freedom!" their shouts echoed around the dining room with their conjoined voices. The others repeated the phrase, clinking their glasses and smiling all around.

The rest of the dinner was spent happily, jokes and pranks and all around silliness abound. Some other answers were given to him as well; such as why the twins and Hermione had come to live with the Marauders. Apparently they had been helping them search for some sort of proof that would prove him innocent, which eventually led them to the location of Peter Pettigrew, who had been hiding out ever since his trial, biding his time, as when Sirius was accused.

Hermione, for her part, had lost her parents to a Death Eater attack the year before (Harry had some sincere condolences for the young witch; he now knew what it was like to lose your parents/guardians, or both). She thankfully had escaped suspicion, having been with the Order at the time, and not framed by the Death Eaters. She had moved to the Black estate soon after, being seventeen and legally allowed to choose her own place of residence. As for her school, she had spent her last year at Hogwarts looking for Wormtail, and had not decided to return the year after to finish. She felt she could no longer trust Dumbledore or any of the other staff anymore.

They had put away her "brother" in a prison-like hell hole, after all.

In the mean time, she had been tutored by the twins and the elders in things that would be useful for her that she would learn her seventh year, such as Apparition. Occulmency, and legilimency were added later on as the necessity arose. She needed to protect herself from the Order members, who – suspecting that they were looking for a way to free Harry from blame – may try to read her thoughts and discover what she was doing, and she could use it in return if need be.

For the second time in his life (his time at the Burrow before the betrayal had been close), Harry felt like he was amidst family; people who truly cared, and would never hurt him. They had stayed with them through the tough times – the 'thick,' if you will – and would stay with him forever. He and Hermione's gazes catch, and a silent thought passed between them. They were safe, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

_Darkness surrounds him._

_Nothing but inky, black darkness._

_His breath came out in frantic puffs, condensing in front of his face like a small cloud. His chest was bare, and he felt unbearably cold. He could feel dense fabric on his legs. At least he had that for protection._

_But, wait! There was a light! A small bar of light, dimmed by what seemed to be a door. He could feel himself slowly walk toward it, but his feet – bare, it would seem – felt so feather-light that he seemed like he was floating. He reached for the door, but it seemed to retreat from him, bending away from his fingertips. He grasped for it desperately, and finally his fingers brushed against the door. He ran his fingers down over the cracked boards to the doorknob. He grasped the cold metal tightly and flung it open._

_Light so blinding, with the intensity of the sun, burned his sensitive eyes. He threw his forearm over them to block it out, allowing them to adjust. Once he felt it was safe, he slowly dropped his arms. The light turned warm, let in from the window in front of him. His green gaze swept the room he is in._

_It was a nursery, most definitely. The walls were a soft yellow with a white trim, stuffed animals line a window seat off to the left. A small crib, white in color and standing about four feet from the floor, rested on the right side. Just diagonal to him was a slightly opened closet. He slowly walked toward the crib, his mind in shock. He looked over the protective wall to see a small baby, dressed in a light blue onesy with an adorable blue tabboggan around its dome of a head. He smiled softly at the baby, who sleeps on peacefully, unaware of his visitor. This room seemed so familiar…The sound of a door startled him out of his reverie and he turned in fear to the newcomers, only to gasp in shock._

_Two adults walked in, obviously the parents of the little baby. There was no mistaking who they were: Lily and James Potter. They looked so happy, healthy and alive. His mother's red hair was still as bright as ever, her eyes – mirror images of his own – sparkled slightly; his father's eyes were bright and expressive. He smiled tearfully at them, reaching out to hug them. However, they did not seem to see him. They looked through him to the baby crib behind him. He moved aside as they walk toward him, afraid of what would happen if their bodies made contact. They smiled softly and looked over to their infant son, sharing loving looks._

_"Isn't he adorable?"_

_"Amazing." James pulled Lily to him and kissed her lightly on her cheek. "Thank you." He murmured._

_"For what?"_

_"For giving me such a beautiful son." Lily blushed lightly and turned his head to place a kiss on his lips._

_"Well, your welcome." Any sort of hurt that Harry could have felt from their lack of perception was overwritten by the loving scene he was watching, albeit as a bystander. This was definitely different from his other dreams as of late…_

_Both of them started at the sound of someone entering their home. They shared a frightened look, and James started toward the door._

_"James, wait-!"_

_"Lily, take Harry and leave. I'll fend him off."_

_"I'm not leaving without you!" James kissed her forehead, and they kissed one last time._

_"Go, Lily." He made his way toward the door, just as Lily nodded and grabbed her son. She kissed his forehead, whispering comforting words to the babe, who had been startled awake when she had picked him up. He quieted. Lily turned toward the door with an agonized expression as she heard her beloved husband cry out in pain. Little Harry began to cry again, and Lily tried desperately to quiet him._

_"Sh, luv, it's alright…Mummy's here." She spun quickly as the door opened to reveal Lord Voldemort. His thin, excessively pale face was grim and determined; no sense of remorse for what he had just done, or any emotional at all for that matter, showed on his face._

_"Move aside, Evans. I will spare you if you hand over the child." Lily turned her side to him, turning the infant away from the dark wizard as if it would save him._

_"Never." Lily spat back. Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he raised her wand._

_"Move." Her eyes widened and he could see fear shining in her eyes, but he could also see her motherly worry and desperation._

_"Not Harry, please no; Take me; Kill me instead –" Harry tried to cry out, to tell her to run, tell her that her pleading would go unheard; to save her from her fate. No sound came, his mouth only falling open and closing like a mute fish._

_"This is my last warning –"_

_"Not Harry! Please ... have mercy ... Not Harry! Please — I'll do anything..."_

_Voldemort's eyes narrowed. Harry lunged forward to stop him some how, only to phase through him like a spirit._

_"Avada Kadavra."_

_"No!" he screamed, reaching for her futilely. The eerie green blast from the end of his enemies' wand moved almost in slow motion before it collided with his mother's chest. She screamed loudly in pain and convulsed for a few seconds and slumped to the ground, immobile. He dropped to his mother's side in agony as his infant self screamed. He had landed from his mother's in his crib, thankfully on something soft. Voldemort walked over and sneered down at him. He extended his hand so that it pointed at his head._

_"Avada Kadavra." he said coldly. It shot toward him as his thin, feeble wails echoed throughout the room..._

"Ah!" Harry screamed snapping up from his curled position. He jerked so hard that he cracked his head back into the wood he was leaning up against. _Wait...wood?_ He looked behind him; his bleary vision was barely able to make out the door to his room. He groaned and stood wearily. He had been sleep walking again, damnit! He stumbled to the bed he had been given, and ran a hand sleepily over his face then took his glasses off the nightstand and sliped them on.

Once again, the dreams of his mother's death, her screams, and her desperate need to protect him plagued him. He figured maybe he was traumatized by being forced to see it for two years over and over again by the Dementors.

He muttered _Tempus_ under his breath and groaned again when he realized it was only 5:30 in the morning. Might as well make some use of it. He stood wearily — stumbling slightly — and slipped out of his room. He paused in front of his door to make sure none of the others were awake. He frowned when he heard someone moving downstairs. He descended, completely quiet — he had become a professional at that while at the Dursleys' — and followed the sounds to the kitchen. He poked his head in to see Remus moving around. He slipped in so as not to disturb him.

"Good morning, Harry." Harry jumped, looking at the werewolf sheepishly.

"Hi, Remus." Remus smiled at him and motioned for him to sit down.

"What's got you up so early?" he glanced at him. Upon noticing his expression, he understood. "Nightmares?" Harry nodded. "What this time? Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

"How do you like it?"

"Cream and sugar." Remus fixed it quickly and placed it before the prodigy. Harry nodded a thank you and took a sip. He smiled behind the cup as the coffee's warmth spread through him and woke his weary mind.

"So, about your nightmares..."

"Yes; it was of my parents again." Remus smiled sympathetically and patted Harry's hand. Harry's eyes started to water for the first time since he had awoken; Remus's kindness broke past the mask he tried to put up from Azkaban; it was satisfying to see the confused and annoyed faces of the guards when they saw he didn't snap.

"What of them?"

"Their…deaths," He said the last word softly, looking down into the dark liquid in his cup. He swirled it slightly.

"…Oh." Remus had no idea what to do about that. He couldn't really relate. "I'm truly sorry, Harry. I wish there was something I could do."

"There is something you could do for me."

"Really?"

"Answer a simple question: why are you and Sirius not together yet?" Remus froze at the question, a dark blush spreading across his face.

"Wh-what does that have to do your p-parents?"

"I'm sure they knew of your feelings, and they would be happy if you were together." Remus sighed softly, looking down at his coffee sorrowfully.

"Lily and James did know how I felt, and they encouraged me to tell Sirius, but by the time that I gathered the courage to tell him, he had been arrested for their deaths." Remus took a deep breath and looked up at Harry. The prodigy was shocked how sad they were, how resigned. It actually _hurt_ to look into them. "I've just got him back Harry; I don't want to risk losing him again." Harry nodded, speechless. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. Remus nodded at him. What else could he expect from the young man?

"Good morning!" Hermione burst into the kitchen, much too happy for someone who just woke up, breaking the sad aura that had surrounded them.

"Good morning, Hermione," Remus said softly, glancing at Harry pointedly, who looked thoughtful at the interruption of the bright witch.

"She might be able to help you with your feelings," He hissed. Remus shook his head. He'd rather not worry her, although – if Harry had noticed – she most likely knew. Harry shot him a pleading look, but Remus denied him once more. Harry sighed, almost pouting again, but decided he would think of it at another time. There was no sense in letting it ruin his day. Besides, he could always connive later. He smiled happily – an almost psychotic gleam in his eyes – and missed the look of concern from the resident werewolf and the confused one from the witch. Hermione raised an eyebrow, deciding she would ask later.

The twins entered some seconds later, looking ruffled and sleepy and _were they wearing each other's clothes_? Harry raised an eyebrow once again, but decided not to push it. They had seen his look, and a devious look had appeared. They could certainly come in handy later on…Sirius followed soon after, looking refreshed and well-slept. At the sight of the object of his affection, Remus's face once again took on a rather pink tinge and he barely managed to return the nod Sirius sent him. He stood quickly before Sirius could ask and dolled out the breakfast he had made – eggs benedict, something he had made much earlier so that they could go to Gringott's as early as possible to avoid any unwanted encounters – to his companions. None of them seemed affected; Harry guessed they were used to the werewolf's habits by now.

Harry took a bite of the food, having to stop himself from gobbling it up; apparently his stomach was ready for more food. In fact – how could he not have noticed? – he was starving!

"So," Harry said slowly, wiping his mouth, breaking the silence, "How are we going to get me into Gringotts without being seen?" There was a pause before Hermione spoke up.

"Harry, do you still have your invisibility cloak?"

"No…Why?" He had a feeling she was planning something. He knew that look…

"Well, then we can just use a Disillusionment charm. We can even make you untouchable, I guess."

"Untouchable?"

"In every sense. You will be – in all intents and purposes – a ghost."

"What will happen when someone tries to touch me?"

"They will go through you." Harry shivered, having experienced the sensation before.

"Where did this spell come from?" Hermione blushed lightly, looking sheepish.

"'Mione wandered into the restricted section one night and found it. Isn't that right, oh righteous golden girl?" Fred teased. Hermione flushed deeper at his teasing, swatting him on his arm. Harry smirked at her.

"You do have a love for the restricted section, don't you?" Her eyes lit up in frustration.

"Yes! They have the most useful spells in those books, but they keep them locked away from us and make us miss out! Like, there's this one that –"

"Please, 'Mione, don't! Some of us are still innocent; still untainted by your rebellious ways!" George cried dramatically, placing his hand on his forehead, palm facing the others. Sirius choked on his food in laughter; that had to be the reason he loved having the twins around. The others followed suit, and once again the witch became an incredibly good imitation of a tomato.

"Oh, hush you!" She smacked George on the back of his head as he laughed at her. She huffed as the laughter continued, a little longer than normal. Mentally she thanked the twins; that was the most she had seen Harry laugh since he returned. She had been afraid that…never mind; morose thoughts would not do at such a pivotal time.

Finally, the laughter died down, as everyone caught their breath.

"All right, so it's settled then; Harry will enter the bank, charmed. Sirius and I can go to get the wills changed, while you three see a goblin about Harry's vaults." Nods answered the werewolf, who had spoke up as he had recovered first. "Finish up everyone. We have some business to attend to, and some wizards to make particularly upset," He said with a wry smile. Time to make some waves…The food was digested quickly, and Hermione was sent to retrieve her wand. Harry took a deep breath.

On to Gringotts they would go, then.

* * *

Translation: Bad Dreams and Bad News


	4. Chapter 4

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_The food was digested quickly, and Hermione was sent to retrieve her wand. Harry took a deep breath._

_On to Gringotts they would go, then._

_Chapter 4: Gringott's_

* * *

The trip to Gringotts was…_interesting_ to say the least.

They apparated into Diagon Alley, with Sirius taking Harry with him and the rest doing so themselves, just in front of the bank itself. The first problem had been when Harry, who had not really apparated much before, fell over. They had to try and look as inconspicuous as possible while trying to see whether or not Harry was okay and trying to disperse the strange looks people were giving the even stranger group.

And what with him constantly changing like a chameleon to his surroundings and the others trying to act like they weren't toting an escaped ex-convict with them, it was stressful. They kept trying to dodge him so they wouldn't have to explain why they were suddenly jostled out of their place and that made him feel like the burden he tried so hard not to be.

The weirdest part of all was the phase-through-him thing; he had to force himself not to dodge the people when they walked past his companions. The twins were trying not to laugh the entire time, and the elders kept looking back at him worriedly (at least where they assumed he was), trying to be discreet. It would not do for an ex-convict and a werewolf to seem to be talking to thin air.

And then there had been the scare when they almost ran into Mr. Weasley. He had just stepped out of Twilfitt and Tatting's, a rather posh clothing store for a man who lived in a home called the Burrow. A bundle of nice looking robes were in his arms; Harry had had to stifle a growl and had chosen to only glare when he realized that the clothes were most likely bought with _his_ money.

Soon, however, none of that mattered, for they were now in front of the revered bank itself.

As usual the off-kilter edifice made of dove-white stone towered over the group as they moved quickly through the first set of doors, set in bronze. On it Harry saw the usual warning; just as he remembered:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

And on they went through the second set of doors – set in silver – into the large main floor. As usual, goblins worked like busy bees around them behind the counters stretching on both sides. Harry smiled at the high ceilings and glittering chandeliers – which reflected their own light onto the dimly lit walls – feeling safe in the bank, although he knew that it had been put under the power of the Ministry upon the second rise of Voldemort. Here he could fix everything; here was the first step to a new life.

On they continued to Griphook's desk. The goblin looked at them for a brief second then did a double take upon realization of who was before him. His wrinkled, drawn face scrunched in annoyance at seeing the wizards. He did spare a nod of respect to Remus, another representative of oppressed peoples in the wizarding world. Remus answers with a hesitant nod of his own; since when had this small creature ever been so courteous?

"What is it, today?" He pushed his glasses farther up his long, beak-like nose and eyed them from above.

"We need to change our wills," Sirius answered, pointing to himself and Remus, "And these three would like to see a goblin about a vault." Griphook nodded and called out to another goblin, who came waddling over to them.

"This is Mirthok (1); he will take you to change your will. You young wizards; come with me." The party split and Remus and Sirius sent them waves before walking off behind the new goblin. The two disappeared behind a door in the back, hidden in obscurity.

"What vault do you want to know of?"

"Is there anyway we can talk about this in private?" The twins – who had been oddly quiet the entire time for their own reasons – nodded vigorously at the brunette's statement. Griphook raised a dark, arched brow at the question and merely descended from his high seat. His feet made a soft thud when they hit and he bluntly walked away, the wizards scrambling to follow his abrupt departure. The small man took them to a room off to the side, waiting by the door for them to enter before closing it. He placed silencing charm on the room before turning to the group.

"Now, what is it?"

"Just a minute, Griphook." Hermione turned her back to the annoyed goblin, facing what seemed to be thin air. Harry relaxed immediately knowing that to tense up may make him feel cramps after the Disillusionment spell was taken off. Hermione whispered the incantation to undo that spell and the Untouchable spell – called _Nequesensus_ – and soon Harry was standing before the goblin. Griphook's brows rose and he smirked.

"Mister Potter, what a surprise."

"Morning, Griphook." Harry smiled a lopsided smile at the goblin; he had made it into Gringotts bank undetected. It was a feat that not many could claim. "It is my vault we need to talk to you about. Is there anyway to get the number of money that was taken from my vault in the last ten years?" Griphook seemed surprised yet pleased that Harry had gone straight to business.

"From here, I can call up the records on the Potter Family Vault." He turned to a small cabinet, what looked like a filing cabinet and opened the drawer labeled 'Vaults.' He whispered "687" and files appeared in the drawer with a quiet sucking sound. To his surprise, the files dated all the way back to the 16th century, and then skipped to the 1990's; apparently the Potter vault was much older than anyone knew, and someone had definitely been taking money without his permission. The goblin fingered through the tabs till he got to the files in the last decade.

"Here you are; the withdrawals made in the last ten years." Harry accepted the files, opening it on the desk and flipping through the contents. The last two were full of transfers to the Weasley vault, a few Galleons at a time. Surprisingly, there was one transfer made to Dumbledore's vault in 1994, only a few sickles, but he had only been a teenager; certainly Dumbledore had not had access to his vault then?

"Why was Dumbledore allowed to take out money in 1994? I wasn't in prison then."

"Albus came under the premise that he was using it for your benefit, and had to use files to prove such." Harry glared at the paper.

"I never saw a single one," He snarled and continued to look through them. He finally reached the files of the last two years, where the most transactions were made. In fact, the file looked quite fat. He opened and skimmed through the paper, his face darkening at each withdrawal; a few sickles here, a sum of knuts there; there was even a transfer of 25 galleons to the Weasley vault for something or other. Altogether, there was a large amount of money gone from his vault.

"Let us have a look, Harry," Fred asked. Harry handed the documents to them completely, not wanting to look at them any longer. Another betrayal by the people he trusted. He buried his face in his hands and rested his hands on his knees. A hand appeared on his shoulder and he looked up to see Hermione smiling gently at him.

"Don't worry; it'll all be better in a moment." He smiled reassuringly at his sister.

"Makes me want to do something in return, you know?" Fred sighed, gripping the paper hard. George squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. His twins face was red from anger.

"We are doing something, Fred. We're fixing it." Fred looked to his brother and nodded hesitantly at first and much more firmly a second later. He sheepishly handed it back to Griphook, who looked a little angry about the handling of his documents.

"Here, mate; ya might want ta take it back before I rip it." Griphook snatched it back with a 'humph!' and gingerly placed it back into the drawer, along with the others. A sucking sound came from it again a second later when he closed it; presumably the papers had been returned to their original location.

"So, what is it you plan on doing now?" Emerald eyes rose to meet the goblins, teeming with anger. For the first time in his life, Griphook feared the young wizard would tear something up, mainly him.

"We need all the money back; I don't care how you do it, but I expect it to be back within the week. If not, there will be hell to pay." Griphook nodded shakily and went to do his bidding. He picked up a phone, one of the ones that were in the room itself, and dialed a random number. He conversed with the person on the other end in Gobbledegook before placing the phone down in what Harry assumed was a pleased smile (If a grimace could be considered a smile…).

"Follow me; I will shortly take you down to see the vault." Griphook waved his hand in front the wall and it separated brick by brick. Soon it was a small, round semicircle of an opening, large enough for all of them to walk through.

"Whoa…since when do the bank walls do that?" Fred said brightly, his eyes wide like a child in a candy store. Oh, what pranks they could pull with walls like that…

"Since the founding. You wizards have no idea what this bank can do." Griphook's face became smug. Harry rolled his eyes and walked through first. Of course, Griphook spluttered indignantly.

"You can't just go in there-" Hermione bent down to the goblin's level to look him in the eye.

"Listen, Griphook, you know how powerful Harry is. Do you really think it's a good idea to stop him? Especially now?" the goblin seemed to consider it, but before he could give an answer, the others followed behind the prodigal man, who seemed fearless of the otherwise unknown, dank corridors to the wizards. Although, this was probably nothing compared to his devastating experiences in Azkaban.

Hermione and the twins had to jog to catch up to Harry, whose shoulders were cocked and head held high. His face was rather impassive; he seemed almost bored with the usually intimidating corridors of the bank's vaults.

Harry stopped suddenly and Hermione barreled into him as he stopped and turned to him with a confused look.

"Um…I have no idea where I'm going." The group was silent for a few seconds before the twins broke out into raucous laughter. Harry's face flushed and he was once again hit with the thought that he might just be able to make them disappear for a little while. His brow furrowed more with concentration.

It was dark.

No one was around.

_And no would hear them._

The thought left him when he felt a small hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Hermione giving him the look. You know, the one that said 'I-know-what-you're-thinking-so-don't-you-dare-do-it-or-you-will-feel-my-wrath.' He sighed.

They stopped laughing soon after – they preferred the air _in_ their lungs, thank you (and for god's sake they hadn't had a laugh like this in such a long time) – and Griphook stepped forward, his face even more scrunched with annoyance.

"If you'd kindly shut up, I can show you where the vault is." The wizard twins had the decency to flush in embarrassment and Hermione promptly smacked them on the back of their heads.

"Please do." She smiled sweetly at him to try and retain some of the respect the goblin may have held for them. Griphook spun on his heel and they took that as their cue to follow. They were actually walked to the vault, instead of taking the car; they just assumed it was because they were being discreet and the small leader didn't want to call any attention to them and the escaped ex-convict.

Eventually, the ominous, iron door of vault 687 rose before them. The door was tall; it stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

"Here; I'll open it." Harry gingerly took the offered, crafted metal and walked slowly to his vault. He slid the key in the slot and turned it. The door groaned as the gears within the vault turned to let them in. It swung open to reveal an open hole, dark and ominous to all but the prodigal man in the center. He stepped in without a pause, and the other three scrambled in behind. The goblin seemed startled by the eagerness of the wizards but said nothing. The door swung shut behind them and they were gone from sight.

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Footnote Explanations:

No.1: Pronounced 'Mer-tock'

Read & Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

I just realized that I didn't show how they entered Diagon Alley, so I changed Ch.4 to include it. If I got it wrong, then someone please tell me so I can make it accurate.

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_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_"Here; the key." Harry gingerly took the offered crafted metal and walked slowly to his vault. He slid the key in the slot and turned it. The door groaned as the gears within the vault turned to let them in. It swung open to reveal an open hole, dark and ominous to all but the prodigal man in the center. He stepped in without a pause, and the other three scrambled in behind. The goblin seemed startled by the eagerness of the wizards but says nothing. The door swung shut behind them and they were gone from sight._

* * *

_Chapter 5: Coloqium Domu_

"Everything is all set for your transfer; Mr. Potter is now your joint heir." The goblin – Mirthok, Remus remembered – smiled for the first time since they had entered his office. Remus glanced at Sirius to see his face in a smirk; the Marauder had had too much fun teasing their small attendant throughout the entire time. He had almost given up on helping them before Remus could moderate between them.

"Thank you, Mirty," Sirius said, bowing his head mockingly to the little man before walking away. Remus smiled apologetically before rushing off to his secret love's side, grabbing his arm. Sirius stopped and turned to him, his smile widening when he sees Remus reproachfully glaring at him from the corner of his eye.

"Happy with yourself are you?" the werewolf muttered. Sirius laughed at him, grasping his hands behind his back.

"Are you mad at me?" He looked over to Remus with a twinkle in his eyes.

"…No." Remus sighed and closed his eyes. He could never stay mad at Sirius, especially when he looked at Remus with that glint in his eye. That look had gotten him into detention with Filch more times than he could count, and all because he couldn't resist him. Damn hormones.

"Good. Besides, goblins always act like everyone should bow at their feet in repentance for what happened in the past. It bugs me to death. I can't help but show them flat out that I don't feel any remorse for something that I didn't do. I wasn't even born yet," He said with a little vehemence. Remus smirked slightly; Sirius really didn't care what others thought about him. He did what he wanted like he was untouchable (which he was, considering it was well known that his family was full of pure-bloods) and thought with no strings attached to traditional ideas and inhibitions. That carefree attitude of his was what Remus liked about him. It was that attitude that made Remus trust him with his secret and what eventually led to their friendship.

"Remus! Sirius!" a familiar voice called behind them. They turned to see the last person they wanted to see, especially since they had been so close to avoiding him before: _Arthur Weasley_. The pudgy redhead ran up to them, a faux friendly smile across his face – one that didn't reach his suspicious, beady eyes.

"Arthur," Sirius said flatly, clearly not amused. The patriarch did not seem to be put off, and turned to Remus with a much more hopeful expression.

"Remus, how are you today?"

"Alright, I guess?" he glanced at Sirius nervously. If Arthur sniffed out anything suspicious, he might alert the Order and Harry could be found.

"Is there something you want." It was a statement, not a question. Sirius came forward protectively in front of the werewolf – a slight movement, one that wouldn't normally be noticed. But Remus did, and his cheeks flushed slightly but he kept his expression neutral.

"Just some friendly conversation, Sirius. No need to get so angry." the redhead held up his hands in defense. Sirius narrowed his eyes. It was times like this that Remus could almost believe that Sirius was the werewolf, not him. He was always fiercely protective and loyal, ever since they were in Hogwarts. It was endearing, to say the least, but now was not the time.

"And if we don't want to have a friendly conversation, Weasley?" Sirius made a move to advance and Remus placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Sirius looked back to him and stopped, retrieving his place. The friendly pretense fell, and his true emotion shone through.

"All right, let's get to the point; you know of Harry's sudden disappearance, yes?"

"Of course; it's all over the papers," Remus cut in. He was better at hiding his emotions than Sirius – he had had to hide his lycanthropy since he was eleven, so he'd had immense practice.

"And you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" he narrowed his eyes, most likely thinking he would be able to glean something from their faces.

"Of course not, Arthur. What makes you think we do?"

"You were his – _closest_ – family. You would want to learn if he was okay. And then the twins started staying up at Grimuald. Not to mention Hermione-"

"Would you want to be near the people that turned against and out casted someone they considered your brother?" Sirius snapped and Remus took a moment to admire him like this – full of passion. Sirius had always been a passionate person – he put all of his energy in everything he did. That included, he was sure, in his personal life. He could only imagine what it would be like to be with Sirius, to be actually _with_ him. To be his lover, even for a day would have to be an amazing experience. To feel Sirius against him, the line of his hard body pressed against his as they started to indulge in one another…He had to suppress a shiver at the thought, and he could feel heat pooling in his stomach. He took a shaky breath to gain his composure, and focused on the problem at hand. He didn't know if this strong surge of hormones was because his wolf was starting to rise to the surface, or if it was because he had kept them within himself for so long - whatever the reason, now was not the opportune moment for them to arise.

Arthur and Sirius were merely glaring at one another, no words passing between them. He felt like a referee between those two, but he had to say he agreed with Sirius. Arthur deserved no sympathy for what he had done to poor Harry, his cub in all but blood.

"Sirius, let's go; we have other business to attend to," He said firmly, pulling Sirius with him. The dark eyes of his crush narrowed at Arthur once more before turning to follow, faster than Remus had expected and he almost fell over, but a hand on his elbow steadied him.

"I'm sorry, Remus. I can't help it whenever I'm around him." Remus shook his head at him. "It seems I'm always apologizing. I can't keep my big mouth shut." He smiled ruefully at him from the side. Remus shook his head at him and placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"No, Sirius, you don't seem to be able to." Sirius looked down at his feet, slightly sheepish. Remus laughed lightly and leaned down to look him in the eye, not having to lean down much due to height differences. "But Arthur deserved his tongue lashing, and we both know it." Sirius smirked at that and looked up with a Marauder grin, glad for the support.

"Yes, he did. Now, let's go find those little brats of ours…" Sirius felt far too happy being able to say that, no matter how thinly the truth was stretched. The four teens were technically under their care, but not _theirs_. But he would hold onto what little semblance of a family he had with the wolf. Sirius looked around for identical manes of fire red hair or another of a bushy brown, unable to spot them at all. "I wonder where they could be…" Remus turned his gaze to the crowd as well to try and see them himself. They were nowhere to be found, but they could see little Griphook running back to his counter as fast as his legs could take him.

"There's Griphook but the others aren't with him. Do you think something happened?" Remus whispered the last part in concern, worrying his bottom lip. Sirius glanced at him, noticing that the worried expression made Remus seem unbearably cute, dark blue eyes wide with a paternal worry, his brow furrowed and his lips now red and swollen from the abuse of his teeth. He wanted to wrap his arms around the little wolf and make him feel better, as cheesy as that sounded. _Damn_, he had it bad.

"Maybe they're waiting outside. Let's go." He grabbed Remus's wrist and discretely slipped it down to his hand during the course of his run. He could be pretty sneaky when he wanted to be. He did not notice the flush on the werewolf's face.

The two men made their way out into the bustling streets of Diagon Alley, looking this way and that. Neither made a move to pull their hands away; the pressing warmth was comfort enough for the sudden disappearance of the three teens so early on in their plan to remove Harry; any slip up could push the recovering young man back into the greedy claws of the press and the Headmaster, and that would not help the poor wizard in his mental and physical state. He was slowly healing, but the more stress placed on him, whether self-induced or not, the slower he became the man they used to know. He couldn't break now, not after such good progress so far.

Suddenly, their cloaks were grabbed, nearly knocking them both off their feet. They spun together to see who it was, and they were assaulted by a vision of bright red hair and mischievous smiles. The twins, they should have known. Hermione was standing next to him, a bemused smirk on her face.

"Oh thank Merlin; we were afraid something had happened," Remus gasped, pulling his hand away to hug the teen closest to him – Fred, as it were. The twin laughed and hugged him back, patting him on his back.

"No need to worry so much."

"Yeah, mate; we had big bag H.P. there to protect us." George snickered after his statement, remembering the way Harry had barged into the catacombs of Gringotts like he feared nothing. Their teasing earned them a whack on the back of his head by Hermione, who was feeling more and more like a babysitter each day. She rolled her brown eyes to the sky and seemed to share a small smile with thin air.

"So, he's with you? Where is he?" Sirius but in. Suddenly his hair flicked like a small gale of wind flew past, except that the Black had felt the brush of fingers along his hairline. "Ah, good. Now let's get out of here; Arthur was around here earlier, asking too many questions for my tastes." He motioned for all of them to go with a wave of his hand, and he felt invisible hands curled around his elbow.

They disapparated gratefully to Grimuald place, into the familiar foyer. Remus whispered _Tempus_ under his breath, to find out that they had been in Gringotts for at least three hours; it was nearly 10:00 (they finished breakfast at about 7), so he knew they would be hungry.

"So, anyone hungry? We can get a snack and talk about our trip in the drawing room. Hermione, can you please remove the charm from Harry?" with a wave of the witch's hand, Harry was suddenly, constantly just Harry; he was no longer changing to fit the room, nor intangible.

"Do you need any help, Remus?" Hermione asked suddenly, the question almost innocent if not for the look in her eyes. She wanted to know something, Remus was sure of it, but he decided he would take the risk.

"Sure, Hermione; run along you four; we'll be there in a moment."

"Alright; we know when we're not wanted," Sirius teased and ushered the others out of the foyer into the drawing room, just off to the right. The two brunettes watched them leave for a moment before Remus motioned for her to go ahead. She nodded and walked into the kitchen first, walking straight to the counter. Remus followed after with a deep breath. Let's just get this over with.

"Hermione is there something you want to ask me?" the question came out more nonchalant than he felt. In fact, he was feeling a little skittish at the moment. He mentally checked the lunar cycle. Nope, the full moon wasn't for another week or two. He wouldn't start feeling the effects until a few days before. The bushy haired brunette stared at him in surprise and then sighed.

"Actually, Remus, there is something…" Remus turned to her with a forced smile. No need to make her feel like she can't talk to him. That was not what someone in his position to Hermione should do.

"Yes?"

"Do you…are you…in love with Sirius?" she said softly. Remus seemed less surprised by her question than she expected, and a lot older than he had been a few moments before. He suddenly took on a tired look, like just after the full moon, but a little better and his eyes were so damned sad. Like an old dog she'd seen at a muggle dog shelter when she was a kid; the one no one wanted because of his age, but he still got excited when someone walked by; the one setting itself up for disappointment and damn well knowing it.

"Yes, Hermione; I am."

"A-are you going to do anything about it?" she leaned toward him, as if to hug him, but stopped herself just before.

"I don't…plan on it. I c-can't," Remus hissed; his voice had gone thin and had cracked on the last word.

"Remus, yes you can. Don't give up so easily." She rubbed his arm, almost like petting the poor man, just like her mom had done when she was younger to ease some sadness. Remus accepted her comfort gratefully, but the pain was evident in his eyes.

"I can't, Hermione; like I told Harry, I just got him back, and I'm not going to risk our friendship, especially now; not with Harry's situation."

"Remus, you deserve the right to do things for yourself. Harry's a man now; eventually he's going have to come to terms with his past on his own; shielding him will do nothing but make it harder for him to adjust." The werewolf stared at her for a moment, surprised. Hermione never ceased to amaze him. She was seriously the smartest witch in her year, not just with books. Still, a voice kept nagging in the back of his mind that told him to step lightly and not to push it; that things with Sirius were too fragile now to screw things up. And he would never forgive himself if he lost him now. He'd take what he could get.

"You may be right, Hermione; we shall see." He smiled tightly, turning back to the task at hand. What a way to effectively kill a conversation. Hermione nodded hesitantly before following him; he clearly didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Sirius pulled away from the door, the reason for coming to the kitchen lost among the giddiness and uncertainty welling up in him. What did he do now? He now had the loaded knowledge of knowing how Remus felt about him. Did he act like nothing happened, or come forward? Or maybe he could just give the werewolf subtle hints? Remus was always a smarter man than anyone he'd ever met; subtle hints were not lost on his adept mind. But could he seriously do subtle? He'd never been one for subtlety; he preferred to just say how he felt. But this was Remus he was talking about. Bluntness usually made him uncomfortable, since he'd always had to hide himself from others for so long. He was used to Sirius, but what if he threw Remus off guard and embarrassed him? He needed to tread delicately.

Damn, he needed advice.

He couldn't very well ask Remus, although he could mask his intentions. But he'd never been able to look into his eyes and lie to Remus, not even during their Hogwarts days. Something about him made him want to come clean, every time. So, he was out of the question. And so was Molly. She was usually a fountain of good, honest advice but she'd lost that role when she'd given up on Harry. Maybe Hermione? She knew about Remus, asked him flat out, and she was sympathetic and ingenious. Maybe he could ask all of the younger adults?

He shook his shaggy hair like a dog and walked slowly, wanderingly, back to the drawing room. The twins gave him a nod when he entered, as did Harry, although his new heir's brows furrowed in scrutiny. Sirius offered a weak smile, and Harry slowly turned back to whatever they were doing. He was clearly suspicious of Sirius.

He plopped himself down into the chair with a pensive look on his face. He needed to make a decision before Remus appeared and he gave himself away. For right now, he would act like he knew nothing and drop small hints, but he would ask the help of the young adults with upmost secrecy.

Just then Remus and Hermione walked through the door ladened with trays of food. One held a plate of tiny sandwiches surrounded by smaller plates and the other held a tea kettle and cups for each of them.

"I know it's not tea time, but I figured we could use it now," Remus explained as they set the trays on the table for all to reach. Sirius's head snapped up when he heard the soft voice and his attention narrowed in on Remus. However, before he could be caught, he turned his attention back to the food.

"Thanks, Moony; perfect timing." He shot Remus a wide smile. He hid his smile behind a sandwich when Remus flushed at the compliment and shared a look with Hermione, who silently urged Remus to do something with a pointed look. Remus denied her with a miniscule shake of his head. Hermione seemed put-off but respected his decision nonetheless. She leaned back with a less-than-discrete sigh and munched on her sandwiches quietly. Remus settled on the couch next to Fred stiffly.

Once they had all they wanted from the trays, Remus gently posed a question that had been bugging him.

"So, how did things go at the vault?" Fred swallowed one of the sandwiches in one gulp and smiled widely.

"Smashing, really; like we said, ol' Griphook didn't give us much trouble when Harry threatened him."

"I dib tho sush fing!" Harry cried in protest, his mouth full of food.

"I'm sorry, Harr; I don't speak mumble." Sirius ruffled his shaggy hair – he really needed to cut it – to which Harry glared.

"I said I did no such thing." He turned to the red head and threw a pillow at him. "And you know it."

"Well you did have him running scared," George defended.

"That's his problem! I wasn't gonna do anything."

"And did you get your money back?"

"Yep, even from way back to when I was in third year. We did it without the others knowing, and they can't go back and retrieve it."

"Thank Merlin; there's one less stress for you to worry about."

"How was your time with Mirthok?" Hermione sipped daintily from her cup.

"Well enough; someone wouldn't quit teasing the poor thing and almost got us thrown out." Remus shot a teasing look to Sirius, and the others laughed quietly behind their hands. Sirius was just happy that Remus wasn't acting different that he had admitted out loud that he loved him.

"But you did get it changed?"

"Yes, thankfully; Harry is officially our heir." Remus seemed to freeze at the way he stated it but smiled tightly. The pause only lasted a brief moment, and was almost unnoticeable. But the three who knew his circumstance caught it, and all made the same decree. Remus would get his happy ending, by Merlin.

Suddenly, a soft tap on the window caught everyone's attention. Fred stood and opened the window, through which a flurry of snow white feathers shot and landed right onto Harry. It hooted in delight and started to pick at the strands on Harry's head.

"Hedwig!"

* * *

Translation: Conversation at Home


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, so you guys will probably think I'm insane but I got the motivation to write this chapter by reading The WorldSaving Properties of Hot Threesome Sex, by opalish (completely and utterly hilarious, by the way), which has literally nothing to do with my story, like, at all. So, that means my plot bunnies must be on crack or something, 'cause that's just weird.

Not to mention, I got inspiration from all of your reviews. Thanks so much you guys!

Also, I never said how Sirius was proven innocent or why they were looking for Pettigrew in the first place, so I edited the first chapter to include it – ah, details can be so annoyingly elusive at times – and put it in this chapter too.

And to clear things up, yes Harry will be with a submissive elf. Congrats to LaLaTink for being the first to put it together (well, at least the first to mention it to me. And thank you for your flattering review by the way. I honestly think that the people are too lazy to just read the summary inside and pass this story over or they just don't feel like reviewing; I get that way sometimes).

Anyway, here you go!

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**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Suddenly, a soft tap on the window caught everyone's attention. Fred stood and opened the window, through which a flurry of snow white feathers shot and landed right onto Harry. It hooted in delight and started to pick at the strands on Harry's head._

_"Hedwig!"_

* * *

_Chapter 6: Nuntium_

The snowy owl nestled on her master's head, cooing in contentment.

"How have you been girl?" Harry gently pulled her from her nest, earning an annoyed nip to his nose in return, and placed her on the table. He gratefully drifted his hand among her familiar feathers as Hedwig blinked her big eyes up at him. She simply tilted her head to the side in answer. Apparently, she'd been well taken care of, as he'd expected. From what the others had told him, Neville and Luna were given the small owl after his imprisonment, as sort of peace offering from Dumbledore, and probably an attempt to shut them up about Harry's innocence. No one knew, however, that Hedwig was a method of contact between the occupants of Grimmuald place about their findings, bringing letters charmed so that only one of them could read it.

"What's her letter say, Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry looked down to her feet to see a rather thick roll of paper attached by a red string. He untied the strap and unrolled it to reveal three things: the newest edition of Quibbler and two envelopes addressed to Harry in Luna and Neville's handwriting.

"Let me see; we'll read it." Harry handed the newspaper to Fred, and the twin flipped it to the front page. George leaned over his shoulder, and the two twins suddenly smiled widely.

"Look, mate; you're on the front page!" The twins turned the paper to show everyone the article.

**_Pettigrew Confesses and BWL Set Free_**

_By Xenophilius Lovegood_

_Recent evidence has proved what some ingenious people knew all along: Harry Potter is innocent. Peter Pettigrew, a known servant of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, has recently confessed to the poor boy's innocence under a batch of Veritaserum administered before a selected crowd of supporters and nay-sayers by Severus Snape to the deaths of muggles Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley Dursley. The man has a history of espionage and secrecy in the Dark Lord's favor, having also confessed to orchestrating the unfortunate deaths of Lily and James Potter seventeen years ago and orphaning the victim in question as a baby, freeing Sirius Black from suspicion._

_Now the question remains: how will those who slighted him be brought to justice? People who were once his closest friends and family turned their backs on the chosen wizard without much protest, defacing him in newspapers and placing themselves as the victims of the machinations of a madman that could rival even the Dark Lord. What will be done with them, and who will do it? Also, what will Harry do now? These questions can only be answered with time. The least one can do is wish the wronged boy well and hope all will turn out right in the end. Harry, wherever you are, we wish you the best._

At the bottom rested a picture of Harry in his Quidditch uniform, smiling widely as the paparazzi took pictures — the epitome of how it was before everything went straight down the crapper. Beside it was a picture of Dumbledore trying to explain his mistake. Seeing the old man floundering made Harry feel strangely happy; he should learn a lesson from this, and hopefully no one else would be a victim of his plans (he also noticed with amusement that an article of the migratory patterns of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack was placed beside his with a continuation on the next page. Ah, some things never change).

Harry opened Luna's letter, his lips flirting with a smile, and drew the paper out. A long missive had been drawn with a steady hand — definitely dictated by a charmed quill.

_Dear Harry,_

_The Thestrals have missed you the last year at Hogwarts, you poor thing. They keep whinnying and prancing restlessly. I think maybe they miss the only other person who noticed them, but there's no one to explain it to. Neville and I stayed, as I'm sure that you've heard, and dealt as best we could with...those people at Hogwarts. But one cannot be nice all the time. We constantly find our patience wearing thin with those Weasleys; they keep wanting to come and talk to you, and repeating the same phrase over and over again starts to wear on one's conscience. I am surprised to find that more people want the company of Loony Lovegood than ever before._

_Neville and I figured that you would want to see my father's article on you; very pro-you I would say. My father had gotten quite a bad reputation these past few years for supporting you, as we all had, but what else is new? Those poor fools didn't even believe in our beloved Crumple-Horned Snorkack, or a Nargel, or anything else that's worthwhile, so I guess I cannot be surprised when they are slow to realize the truth. Anyway, we know that you will be safe there among friends._

_I have been staying with Neville, amazing boy (he actually listens to me when I tell him of my father's ideas; he has never once tried to tell me that I'm wrong or called me Loony; he doesn't give me the same look as anyone else. I must say that I do enjoy his company more than most — his grandmother? Not so much. Catty woman, she is). I do enjoy my time there._

_Any who, please write back soon, Harry. We miss you._

_Sincerely,_

_Luna_

Next was Neville's, made with a charmed quill as well. It had his voice, but not his atrocious handwriting.

_Dear Harry,_

_I can honestly say that I'm happy that Hedwig can finally be back with her master. The poor thing had been devastated without you; she barely ate without force the first month, and trust me, force was not my first option — she has the sharpest beak I've ever seen! And the worst temper — but I did my best to try and tell her that someday you would be back and — genius thing — I swear she could understand me. Once she was assured of that, she settled out._

_However, when she found out about being sent back to you, she went bloody bonkers; it took Luna and I hours to get her to calm down so we could write and attach our letters. If there's one thing you should never doubt, it's the loyalty of your owl._

_Speaking of Luna, she is the reason that I charmed my letter (Luna did as well; we both want to exercise the utmost care when dealing with our letters to you). Every day I'm near her — she'd taken up residence here with my grandmother as an assurance of her safety after we graduated — I find myself constantly amazed by her. I do believe that I am...falling in love with Luna. She's bloody brill, Harry, and quirky to the core, absolutely confusing to be around, but I can't bring myself to care. Her dreamy, graceful attitude is so very different from mine that I find it fascinating to just sit back and watch her, without trying to understand her or label her as everyone else does._

_Ah, sorry. I sort of went on a little tangent there; the quill is as loyal to verbatim as anything. Makes me very happy I did charm this letter. Anyway, I came to you for advice, you could say. I don't really know how to approach her. How do I tell her how I feel? And besides, why would Luna want me, of all people?_

_Do write back soon Harry; we both want to hear from you and the others. We want to know if you're safe and well._

_Sincerely,_

_Neville._

Harry smiled slightly at this. Apparently everyone around him was falling in love. It made him remember the moments he'd had with Ginny before his imprisonment. Although their conversations were usually centered on her and things at school, he'd tried to delude himself into thinking he could be truly happy with her. But even when they were together, he'd always felt that she was a precursor to _the one_; that the shallow, juvenile fascination he'd had with the feisty red head was just the beginning. Beginning of what, he couldn't be sure.

As of now, the only ones without some sort of prospect were himself and Hermione. He would say the twins but there was something about them, their relationship. He just felt some innate feeling that yes, they did have someone. He wasn't quite sure yet, but he had an idea. He still felt guilty about what happened between Hermione and Ron, even if he knew that the break up was that traitorous Weasley's doing. But he couldn't help thinking that if he wasn't the damned chosen one, none of this would have happened. He had thought that all his life, ever since he had learned of Voldemort and his plans for the wizarding world, especially when he learned that he was the Boy-Who-Lived. He'd only gone so far as to wish he hadn't lived only in Azkaban, before he'd had any hope of survival.

Seeing his sad expression, Hermione gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Reality came rushing back in, and Harry schooled his expression back into a smile.

"What do their letters say, Harry?" Her tone came out gentler than she'd intended, and now everyone was worried. She could see it in their faces. They looked suspicious at his suddenly sunny disposition, but accepted it for what it was. She, however, had seen him pull his features together; she wasn't fooled. Something had made Harry revert inward, and his eyes had dulled more than they should. He needed a distraction.

"Oh, nothing; Apparently Neville has made a recent discovery about himself concerning Miss Luna Lovegood." He smirked lightly at that thought. They would make an incredibly good match. Luna's distant, dreamy, and out-of-this-world with Neville's clumsy, shy, and down-to-earth (literally; when was the boy ever not among plants of some sort?) would balance each other out perfectly. He just needed to assure him of that fact first.

"Oh, really? Let us see."

"They're charmed, so you're gonna have to undo it somehow," he answered as he handed the letter to George. That's right; he had no wand. His pocket felt empty without it. He'd have to find a temporary one until he could find a wand maker. No wizard should ever be caught without a wand; it was like a death wish. Especially him.

"No problem." Fred pulled his wand out of his pocket and waved it over the paper. Black ink bled over the papers slowly as they are made so the others could see. The remaining teens read the letters among themselves, passing them to the adults when they were through. Sirius waved Remus closer to allow the both of them to read the letter together. Remus seemed nervous at the suggestion but he got up and settled against Sirius's side anyway. There was a couch arm between them, but their arms were touching, and their heads were close together. Remus's cheeks had once again taken on a pink tinge but he seemed quite pleased where he was. Harry noticed that Sirius kept shooting small, gentle looks to Remus before turning dutifully to the letter.

And he thought he was being discrete.

When everyone had read them and seen the newspaper, Hermione could not hold her tongue any longer.

"So, Neville loves Luna?" She asked. She sounded more pensive than opposed.

"Apparently. Did you see the part at the end? The part where Luna talked about Neville? She seems to really like him too," Remus commented. He hadn't moved from his place beside Sirius and their arms were still adjacent.

"Yeah; they'll be cute together," Sirius agreed.

"That's assuming that Neville has the balls to say anything." George snickered at his brother's comment.

"Fred!" Hermione smacked him on the head with the Quibbler. All he did was laugh. "Have a little faith!" she huffed and crossed her arms as both twins reigned in their snickers.

"Well, I think he'll do just fine. The fact that he came to someone for help shows that he's not embarrassed about how he feels, he's just not confident in his worth," Harry commented. _Leave it to the twins_, he thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Most definitely." Hermione sent them a scathing glare that shut them up.

"Luna said they had to deal with Ron at Hogwarts, and all the other people who want to talk to you. So Hogwarts is out of the question. Where do you two want to go for your last year?" Sirius, the unlikely voice of reason, butted in. Harry and the others stopped short, pensive.

"The States," Harry said softly.

"What?"

"I...I think the States would be the best option. It's far away and under a different ministry. They can't legally drag me away after I've become a citizen."

"That's a little..._far_, but it might be for the best. There are too many memories here, too much hurt." Hermione took a deep breath and smiled. "I agree with Harry."

"If you're alright with that, Harry, then so are we." Remus nodded.

"If you want, Fred and I will stay behind to deflect the ministry."

"And we can keep our shop as a front," Fred added, seemingly excited by the idea.

"That's brilliant you two. That way we can have eyes here in England to give us updates on Dumbledore and the Order. You two, Luna and Neville can work together to keep suspicion at bay. It's perfect." Sirius smiled proudly at the two redheads, who beam under such praise. They were used to being praised on their pranks, not their brains. It was refreshing.

"All we need now is a place," Harry sighed. The room goes silent in contemplation.

"If you want, I can try to look up the different schools in America, but I don't know how much information I'll get. If I go to the ministry, it'll be too obvious. I have some connections in the underground from when I was on the run, so I'll see what they can dig up. Until then, all we can do is pack and prepare," Sirius sighed, drifting a hand through his ebony locks worriedly.

"Do what you can, Sirius, and we'll see where we go from there." Harry smiled gratefully. He would have to wait till he could get information. Sirius nodded and took his leave, leaving the rest to their own devices. Harry, Remus, and Hermione took off to the library, Harry to finish his book on elves (the concept of elves that were not driven by their need to serve others fascinated him), Remus to assist on finding more information on the American schools and Hermione to find out more on nourishment potions. The twins disappeared together into the floo to go to their shop — like they said, pretenses needed to be kept.

* * *

The hawk watched its master with a look that seemed almost impatient; he kept shifting on his perch and scraping his talons in a nearly-human tap motion, like when one was waiting on someone else. Sharp, pearly eyes snapped to him when he ruffled his feathers and snapped his beak, shooting him a look.

"Be patient, will you? I'm merely reading it over. Must you rush me?" he sighed, his voice very young for someone in his position. A desk lamp illuminated a letter written in a neat scrawl, and a ball-point pen was poised over the stationary, waiting for the man to continue. He grabbed it back and swiped his signature across the bottom, beneath the printed form of his name. He wanted to make it as clear as possible what his intentions were, and he hoped the two young adults and their companions would agree. His school would benefit greatly from their presence, and its location was advantageous to their desires. He looked back up to the bird of prey, waving him over.

He whirled around in the air – stretching out his wings; his master had taken at least an hour and he'd been made to wait that long – before landing on the desk before his master, holding out his leg.

"You do love to show off, don't you?" the bird snapped his beak and he almost seemed to smirk at the question. His master tied his letter onto the bird's leg with a red string with an amused shake of the head and an identical smirk, careful not to crease the message too much. Once it was tied tightly – and spelled to make sure it could be tracked if some turbulence stole it away – he swatted the diurnal bird off. It made an indignant noise before taking flight and exiting out of his office through a rhombus shaped window.

The auburn-haired master leaned back against his large office chair and propped his feet up on the papers stacked up on his desk, crossing his fingers over his stomach. His strange eyes slid closed as he tried for sleep.

For now, all he could do is wait.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry if it seems like the story suddenly switches places; the line didn't take when I tried to put it in. Why, I have no idea. Anyway, the hawk thing is in another place.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to all those who reviewed and faved me. And LaLaTink, I did a little experiment. I changed the description, and I think more people faved me than before. I was right; some people are as lazy as I am!

Beware: Slight Draco bashing in this chapter.

* * *

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_The auburn-haired master leaned back against his large office chair and propped his feet up on the papers stacked up on his desk, crossing his fingers over his stomach. His strange eyes slid closed as he tried for sleep._

_For now, all he could do is wait._

* * *

_Chapter 7: Arbitrationes_

The first thing he heard when he woke up was the sound of wing beats, cawing and annoyed hoots. Harry's green eyes opened groggily, blinking away sleep as best he could. What blinking couldn't get his fist did as it dug against his eyes to dislodge anything crusting around the edges. He sneezed when something soft landed on his nose, followed by another, and he swiped it off to see what it was. He opened his palm to see a small white tuft of a feather that looked like Hedwig's.

Another squawk caught his attention and he lookedto see a strange sight. A hawk, its – possibly a he since Hedwig had only ever attacked male birds before – eyes as sharp as his beak and talons – and more intelligent that he'd expected – swooped away from his owl, which was flapping her wings viciously and scratching at the bird of prey. It landed on Hedwig's perch, seeming to take a breather. He shot a glare to Hedwig – who was perched on Harry's headboard with her head turned away almost indignantly – and then to Harry when the wizard finally got the courage to approach the strange creature.

"How did you get here?" he murmured as disarmingly as he could to the bird while reaching out to gently pet his head. The bird's eyes closed in acceptance. Then Harry noticed the letter attached to his leg, tied with a string. There was a light fold in the middle, along with a strange crest perched on the lip of the envelope. It was shield shaped, as expected, with a hawk – almost identical to the one in his room – with a scroll clutched tightly in its talons. Its wings were spread to full breadth and the creature was staring him almost right into his eyes. There was a ribbon along the curve of the shield with the words '_Sine tuus mentes adsurgere_' – allow your minds to soar – etched into the middle. The strangest thing about the symbol was that it looked like someone had used ink for the seal. It hadn't been pressed into wax like the ones he remembered. It looked like someone had taken a stamp and stamped it onto the paper. On the other side was only Grimuald's address in neat handwriting.

The hawk rose itself from its perch, fluttering over to him and cawing at him. Apparently the bird wanted him to open it. Despite this, he folded the letter back up and placed it into his pocket. He had never seen either this hawk or this seal before, and he was in too precarious a position to put him and the others in danger by opening a letter that may have a charm on it. It was paranoid, he knew, but necessary. He couldn't very well fix it himself, after all.

He turned to the door before freezing, realizing something very different than yesterday. He'd actually woken up in a bed this morning. He hadn't dreamt about his mom. Instead, he'd dreamt of blond hair and green eyes; of a soft voice and dainty, soft hands. At first, he thought it was Malfoy, but then Draco had never had a soft voice. And besides, whoever he was smelled of the earth, and there was no way Malfoy, the Slytherin _Princess_, would ever allow himself to smell like soil. Don't get him wrong; he'd always gone both ways, and he definitely thought the blonde pureblood was attractive, but he wasn't nearly so particular about his hair or clothes – most of which had never even been worth fussing over – and he found it ridiculous how much Draco cared about such a thing. He'd always been unsure of the blonde's sexuality; he was far too close to Zabini to be straight, but he didn't really care enough to investigate.

Anyway, he got the feeling that this meant something; something important. Of course, fate loved to screw with him, and more often than not, screw him over. But this time, it was a good feeling. His future was flirting with him; giving him a glimpse and then dancing away to the shadows while he tried to grasp onto what little insight it gave him. But it was a happy – slightly arousing, he would admit – future none the less.

He had no idea why he would be okay today – maybe because his conscience finally got some peace, or the positive energy and love around him made him finally feel safe – but he definitely wanted to celebrate.

Moving to the stairs with more bounce in his step than he remembered, Harry was in the kitchen before he knew it. He could hear someone moving around – Remus, probably. He pushed open the door slowly to see the werewolf moving sluggishly through the kitchen. He looked incredibly tired, his shoulders slumped and arms moving like there were lead weights on them.

"Remus?" he questioned gently. The werewolf turned to him slowly, revealing bags under his tired eyes.

"Yes, Harry?" he sighed. His godson rushed forward to help, forcing him into a nearby chair.

"Remus, you should rest for a second. Are you alright?" Harry grabbed his cheeks between his hands. Remus looked like he was about to pass out right here. The full moon was about a week away, so he shouldn't feel the effects for at least five more days.

"I'm fine, just tired. Moony wouldn't let me sleep last night. He kept smelling something different in the house and trying to go check and see if it was a threat, and my magic kept tingling because something tripped the proximity wards on the house; I refused to go check them out because I was so tired, but Moony was too anxious to allow me any respite." He rubbed his hand tiredly over his face to try and get rid of some of his sleepiness, but it was hopeless.

"Sit, Remus; I'll finish breakfast," He said gently. All his godfather could do was put his forehead on the table and let sleep claim him. Harry shook his head and took up where Remus left off. Thank Merlin the Dursley's had made him learn how to cook, so he could give poor Remus some time to rest. Remus had already laid out the basis for a smaller meal than Harry wanted to make, so he added a few more eggs to the ones already taken out and more flour. He was going to make a huge, American meal, like he'd always wanted to have; sausage, eggs, toast, bacon, ham; the works.

Within minutes, working diligently, he had a spread placed out in a long line for all the others. Pleased with his work, he walked happily over to the table and took the seat beside Remus, fingering his letter curiously. It was so hard not to open it; curiosity always was his downfall…thankfully he could hear footsteps behind the door, some sounding like baby elephants, the rest much more controlled. The elephants had to be the twins, no doubt about it. They'd arrived the night before just when they were all getting ready for bed. They had spent a long time getting their shop ready for its grand re-opening. When Harry had been incarcerated, the weight of knowing their family was responsible and having people hate them for supporting the 'murderous' chosen one had taken its toll, making them neglect their poor shop. This eventually led to its closing, so it was left to gather dust for the last two years. However, no one tried to take it from them, so their little spot on the corner of Diagon Alley was still up for lease. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes would have another day to shine.

That meant that the controlled ones were the only two in the house that were left: Hermione and Sirius.

The door opened to reveal the last four occupants of Grimuald Place. The twins were as bright eyed and bushytailed as a couple of red haired, freckled squirrels, while Sirius and Hermione seemed a little more tired. Both looked like they hadn't slept much, the witch probably because she'd spent another late night in the library and Sirius because he'd spent hours trying to find all his contacts to get information.

A chorus of 'Good morning, Harry's,' in various stages of sleepiness, came from them as they situated themselves around the table. Hermione plopped down beside Remus while giving him a strange look.

"S'he alright?" she murmured, motioning vaguely in the werewolf's direction.

"Yeah, he just didn't get much sleep last night." Suddenly, Harry got an idea. "Hey, Sirius?"

"Hm, yeah?"

"Could you take Remus upstairs to get some sleep?" Sirius nodded and stood, pulling the werewolf from the table. Remus came without a word of protest, too far gone in sleep to stop him. Sirius easily scooped the smaller man into his arms and started off to the stairs. Neither of them seemed all that embarrassed when Remus snuggled up against his chest with a contented sigh. When they were gone, Harry turned to his peers – well, Fred and George were older, but that wasn't the point – and shared a smirk.

"So, do we know why Remus is so tired?" Hermione yawned widely and rubbed her eyes.

"Well, apparently Moony sensed a threat on the Grimuald grounds and wanted to check it out and didn't let him sleep at all."

"A threat? Should we be worried?"

"No; it was just a hawk with a letter for me."

"A hawk, really?" at that moment, they all heard a loud caw, and something dark swooped into the kitchen. It landded on the table, looking ruffled.

"Bloody hell!" George gasped. The bird started at the exclamation, shooting the twin a sharp look that clearly said 'shut up!' Taken aback by the bird's intelligent stare, all the red-head could do was just that. His mouth snapped shut immediately.

"What kind of letter?" Hermione asked, giggling at the bug-eyed expression on the twin's face. Harry placed his envelope on the table, dodging the bird's beak as it tried to nip at him for letting Hermione see the letter. Harry swatted at it in annoyance and he seemed to give an annoyed 'humph!' before settling on the table with his eyes closed.

"You haven't opened it," Fred commented curiously.

"I didn't recognize the seal, and the fact that someone I don't know knows where I am worries me. I didn't want to open it before one of you checks for any harmful spells or other booby traps."

"Alright, let me see it." Hermione snatched the letter up and pulled her wand from her pocket. She casted a spell under her breath and nodded a moment later. "There you go; there wasn't anything there. This letter is perfectly safe." She handed it back to Harry, who opened it finally by slipping his finger under the lip and breaking the symbol. He pulled out a piece of paper – not parchment, like he was used to.

"Read it aloud, Harry," George commented. Harry nodded and takes a breath.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_If you're reading this letter that can only mean that my Avaric has arrived safely to your godfather's home. You see, it has come to my attention that, in light of recent events, you and your companion – one Miss Hermione Granger – are in need of a place to finish your education and find a place of employment upon your graduation that is – shall we say – distant from your past residences and those involved. I believe that my school could be of some use to you. Consider this a formal invitation for both yourself and Miss Evans._

_Also, your current guardians, Msrs. Black and Lupin, are welcome to come along, and teaching jobs are available for both, if they're up to it. We need an advisor for the werewolves of our school, and I've heard tell that Mr. Black is a natural Animagus; he could be of some use to my students who are struggling to find their inner animal._

_Attached to this letter is a list if classes that you may take upon enrolling in my school. Hopefully these will convince you, if my way with a pen does not._

_Signed,_

_Headmaster Talnus Caliber,_

_Caliber's School of Magical Arts_

_P.S.: Please write back within 72 hours. School starts in just a few days, right after the lunar cycle so our werewolf students can recover before they start classes, so you don't want to miss your chance to enroll. If you do, please include the classes you and Miss Granger wish to take._

The handwriting was neat and clean, missing the familiar loop and curve of a quill. Sure enough, the little envelope had two other sheets of paper, one with a list of classes, the other with the list of supplies for each class.

"This is perfect. We didn't even have to look for a school; one came to us!" Harry said happily.

"Let me see that list of classes," Hermione murmured. She grabbed the paper from Harry and skimmed down the list. Her eyes seemed to widen as she got further down. There were only about twenty classes that seven years were allowed to take, since they'd already gotten most of their requirements done, "Harry, this school teaches dark magic," She whispered, sounding curious and scared.

"What kind of dark magic?" Harry, for his part, sounded quite interested.

"Necromancy, Sigil Applications, Curses and Hexes…there's even more." Harry took the list and skimmed it as well. There were different forms of Divination with descriptions at the bottom, such as Astragalomancy - the faction of Divination that apparently used dice marked with numbers and letters to determine the future - Runic Magic, Cephalomancy - "head divination" - and Palm Reading. There were all types of language classes, including Daemon and Elven, also dwarf and Gobbledegook if one wanted. There was even an option for seven years to become assistants to teachers who taught classes that they were especially good at. And the Care of Magical Creatures slot was open.

All the possibilities made Harry giddy.

Seeing his smile, however, only made Hermione nervous.

"Harry, you're not actually considering those classes are you?" Harry glanced up to her face scrunched in worry. She, like any other witch and wizard from their ministry, was wary of the dark arts, but he'd seen that even 'light' wizards could be just as cruel as dark ones. They may not be ones to hit you with an Unforgivable, but their lack of faith was just as bad.

"Yeah, actually I am."

"You're what?" Sirius appeared behind him and plopped down beside the twins.

"We got a letter from the Headmaster of a school in America, and they teach dark magic at the school. And I'm considering taking some of them," Harry answered firmly. It was clear no one was going to change his mind, "There's something about you and Remus in here, Sirius; you might want to take a look at it."

"May I see the letter?" Harry handed it over. Sirius's brow furrowed in a contemplative look once he was done.

"Are you sure about this, Harry?"

"Yes; don't they say you're supposed to fight fire with fire? Dark Magic is the last thing he'll be expecting me to use on them, and it will give us a much needed advantage when the showdown finally comes."

None of them knew what to say. They couldn't fault his logic, and Sirius would be lying if he said that the thought hadn't crossed his mind more than once since this whole thing started. Hermione was the first to answer.

"Alright, Harry; it's your decision. Just…be careful, will you?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. Harry smiled and nodded.

"Of course; you worry too much." He teased. "What do you thing about helping out, Sirius?" Sirius smirked slightly.

"It would be nice. I had no idea that I had a reputation as a natural, but I would be glad to help the people who were struggling. It could be fun. And I know Remus is going to love it. He was so happy teaching you guys at Hogwarts, and the fact there are others like him will only sweeten the deal. Seems like Caliber's is a win-win situation for all of us."

"So, that's where we're going?"

"As far I'm concerned, yes." Harry smiled brilliantly. Caliber's seemed like a godsend.

"Now that that's settled, let's eat." Harry jumped up and grabbed plates for them all, making sure to save a plate for Remus when he awoke.

"What's with all the food?" Fred asked. Everything looked amazing; he didn't know where to start…

"I just had a good night's sleep is all. Don't question it; enjoy it!" he waved them toward the food. The hawk, Avaric, ruffled his feathers before closing his eyes, relaxing once more. They each got as much food – or more, in the twins' case – as they could handle and took their seats once again, feeding Avaric little morsels of food. The hawk gobbled the food and attention up, making soft contented noises whenever he got anything from them. Harry was surprised that the hawk carefully avoided their fingers when he took the food; it was clear the bird was domesticated. While they ate, the two future students contemplated on their classes.

Hermione, of course, was going to take Runic Magic; she'd loved the Runes class at Hogwarts third year, and she was sure her O.W.L. would assure her a place in the advanced class. Both of them, Hermione with some persuasion, decided to take Sigil Applications; it would help them summon creatures to aid them in later battles against Death Eaters and the like, as well send others away – namely, Dementors. Harry was going to apply for the assistant position for Care of Magical Creatures, while Hermione decided she would double up in Muggle studies; Muggle History Around the World in the first semester, which would turn into Anthropology once she passed her midterm exams (if she didn't she would take the same class again the next semester and take its final exam, but there was little chance of that). Harry was also taking a remedial Apparition class, which lasted only until he could master apparition, and the exam for the class was at the student's pace. So he could be a natural and have a study period (or even another class if he got done early enough) for the rest of the year, or struggle and have to go all year, or somewhere in between. Both of them capitalized on their fourth period, choosing to take one of the different Divinations instead: Hermione was going to take Palm Reading, while Harry chose Astragalomancy.

Sirius fetched them a quill and parchment – two more for Harry since he still needed to reply to Luna and Neville – and they set about writing their letters, eating and talking the entire time. The two young adults didn't want to admit it, but they were incredibly excited. The classes this school offered gave so much more freedom than Hogwarts, and their nerves were going haywire from all the giddiness.

Once they were done, with some difficulty, they tied their letter to Avaric for the Headmaster, and Harry had to call Hedwig down from the upstairs to tie his letters for their love-struck, loony friends, and then both birds were sent away to their respective destinations. Sitting back, Harry smiled slightly, his eyes a brilliant verdant. He was among friends, who cared about him, about to go to a school that seemed to be a perfect fit for all of them, and he was going to be among people who didn't gasp every time they saw him, and far away from the hype and drama.

Things were really looking up.

* * *

A/N: Alright, so, not the best, but I'm sick, and I want to go ahead and get them in America so I can start the whole romance thing. Sorry if it seems rushed!

Oh, and title means 'Decisions.' Read and Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you guys so much for all the faves and reviews! I feel so special! XD I want to give a special shout out to LaLaTink and harryfan160889. LaLa, you rock! Thankies for the digi-chicken soup and for the well wishes, as well as the support. Harryfan, I might need to get you as my beta if you can do it; message me if you're up for it. Thanks for the constructive criticism, and I'll try to do better in the future.

**_Last time Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Once they were done, with some difficulty, they tied their letter to Avaric for the Headmaster, and Harry had to call Hedwig down from the upstairs to tie his letters for their love-struck, loony friends, and then both birds were sent away to their respective destinations. Sitting back, Harry smiles slightly, his eyes a brilliant verdant. He was among friends, who cared about him, about to go to a school that seemed to be a perfect fit for all of them, and he was going to be among people who didn't gasp every time they saw him, away from the hype and drama._

_Things were really looking up._

Chapter 8: Adventus

It took one day for Hedwig to return, empty handed besides a few sweets for the lot of them, courtesy of Neville's grandmother, who'd also been a supporter of Harry while he was under fire, and two days for Avaric to return with their answers from Caliber's. The two days of waiting made the future students antsy, milling around with bored expressions on their faces and being too restless to really stay still for longer than it took to sleep.

When Avaric finally did arrive, he had a letter with him, expressing the headmaster's delight at their enrollment. Along with the letter were a map of his school, their schedules, and a portkey that apparently led to the village courtyard, if they were to believe his letter. The two students were glad to see they got the classes they wanted. Their schedules were as follows:

**Harry**

_Breakfast_

_Sigil Applications_

_Apparition*_

_Lunch_

_Care of Magical Creatures (Assisting)_

_Astragalomancy_

_Dinner_

**Hermione**

_Breakfast_

_Sigil Applications_

_Runic Magic_

_Lunch_

_Muggle History around the World/Anthropology_

_Palm Reading_

_Dinner_

Now that they knew what they were going to do, they just needed to get their supplies. The headmaster assured that there was a small village near the school that sold magical things and school supplies, sort of like Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley rolled into one, so they wouldn't have to risk going into the public and have anymore mishaps.

So, now all they needed was to get ready and then just…_go_. That option in and of itself made Harry even more giddy; he'd be gone from this place and immersed into a society of a whole plethora of possibilities in a day (they 'd decided that they would wait a day to pack and let Sirius and Remus settle any affairs with the house – like making sure it had an elf to clean it, since the twins might stay there while they were gone, and double checking the privacy and proximity wards on the house so no one could barge in and see them gone – and then they would be off). He was so excited he could barely sleep, and spent the entire night before they were to leave packing and rearranging his things, making sure he had all he wanted, and that Hedwig was comfortable in her new cage – he'd been given one by Sirius, who had found it somewhere in the crevices of Grimuald. So, it was new, but…_not_ at the same time; Harry didn't care as long as she liked it. He also made sure to shrink his things with a wandless spell that Hermione had taught him so that he could carry them all in his pocket when they portkeyed to the school, and could therefore heft Hedwig's cage with his free hands.

When the sun rose over the horizon on the day of their departure, Harry was up from his bed in a flash, bolting down the stairs and into the kitchen. He'd even gotten up before Remus, who had finally convinced Moony that the hawk wasn't a threat and had been allowed some sleep. Immediately he went about making a light breakfast; they needed to get a move on and they didn't want to go on an empty stomach, but Harry figured they could get something from the village, whose name he'd forgotten already, if they were hungry.

Within a few minutes, Remus was up, shocked by the sunny smile and breakfast he'd gotten when he entered the kitchen, and then a few more minutes went by before Hermione, Sirius and the twins shuffled down the stairs. Throughout breakfast, Hermione kept giving the man a strange look, since he was practically bouncing in his seat.

"Um, Harry?" Placing her fork on the table, she leveled him with a stern look.

"Yes, Mione?" he chirped.

"Are you…alright?"

"Of course, just excited, you know?" He smiled sheepishly, finally realizing that he was freaking his friends out.

"Right." She hid her smile behind another bite of food, sharing a look with the others. Harry forced himself to calm down, saving all his energy for when they arrived at Caliber's. Sirius and Remus shared a look over their heads, both also smiling to themselves. Finally; this was the most excited Harry had been since they had gotten him back from Azkaban. It was sad to think that the boy was so happy to be leaving the place that had once been his escape from his family. The poor thing just never could find a place where he was loved completely and could settle down without some sort of opposition. Remus sighed softly; his poor godson – was he really that anymore? Harry was his heir after all. You know what? Screw it; Harry was his son now, and if anyone didn't like it, then that was too bad for them – his poor _son_ had always had to fight.

At least now they had a way for him to be happy.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Sirius clapped for their attention. The young men and woman rushed up to the second floor to grab their things and were back down almost a minute. He rolled his eyes.

"We're all here." Harry smiled brightly. Finally, they were going.

"We're gonna miss you guys…" Fred sighed, tears welling up in his big eyes. For once his tone was completely serious, and his feelings were mirrored on his brother's face. They both looked ready to crumble. For the first time that day, Harry's face fell. Now that he was faced with leaving them behind, he was struck with sudden sadness. When Fred and George came to him with their arms open for a hug, he gripped them tightly.

"I'll miss you guys, but we'll be in touch." He pulled away and clasped both of their shoulders, gazing at them with happy eyes. "I promise we'll owl you as soon as we can." The twins nodded and stepped over to hug the rest, trapping the remaining three in bear hugs. Hermione could barely breathe and she smacked them on the head for that, but she was smiling and she looked about ready to cry. Remus and Sirius looked sadly nostalgic, Remus smiling and Sirius gave his family home one last once over.

"I never liked living here, but, I can't believe I'm saying this, I'll miss it." he sighed. Remus smiled slightly.

"Yeah." He squeezed Sirius's arm and the two share a soft smile.

"Alright, take care you two; it's time to go." Remus produced the portkey. The students held tightly to their belongings and grabbed the device with their free hands. The twins stepped back, Fred slipping an arm around his brother's waist. He rested his chin on George's shoulder and they watched on.

Harry whispered Taurë under his breath – Elven for 'wood' – and they all felt the portkey yank them away from this world with the familiar hook feeling in their gut. The room and the twins were gone from them in a split second.

The small group landed on sharp cobblestones, Harry nearly sprawling to the floor, but was saved with Remus's quick reflexes. He nodded a thank you to the werewolf. They glanced around, confused. Where was the school? They had landed on a street that seemed to have been placed in the middle of a grassy plain, littered with small risings of hills.

"Welcome." They all started at the sudden voice, deep and mischievous. They turned to see a young man, maybe in his thirties. His hair was a deep auburn color, nearly mahogany, reaching just past his shoulders in the front, the rest pulled back against his nape with a black hair tie. His eyes were pearly and nearly metallic, looking like there were two of the ocean's jewels pressed into his eyes sockets, with soft, lavender shaped pupils instead of black circles. Twin peaks of his ears snuck out of his hair, long and more rounded than that of an elf.

He smiled through pink lips at their shock, and bowed respectfully.

"You must the group I sent Avaric to." Harry numbly nodded. "As I'm sure you can tell, I am Talnus Caliber."

"What…what are you?" Hermione gasped. Immediately she realized what she'd done, and her cheeks turned scarlet. She opened her mouth the stutter an apology but he silenced her with his hand.

"It is of no import Ms. Granger. I am not offended. I get that a lot from expatriate students." Hermione nodded, still feeling embarrassed. "I am a sprite; namely, a woodland one, which is why a bird of prey would be my familiar. I tend to have a way with animals, as do elves, but my talents only extend to forest ones; elves are far more skilled."

"Makes sense, I guess." Remus nodded.

"Ah, Mr. Lupin! What a pleasant surprise! The young wolves of our community have been dying to see you since I announced your accompaniment of Mr. Potter." Remus flushed lightly; never had anyone made such a fuss over him.

"But, how did they know? School hasn't started yet." Hermione, ever observant, cut in.

"Letters were sent to some of the parents; they needed to know that there was someone to help their children. It helps ease their worry. Some of the parents are wolves themselves, some are not, and they all feel like their child will be safer for themselves and everyone around them with Mr. Lupin here to help them through." he turned to Sirius, having just noticed him.

"And Mr. Black! They are excited about you as well." Talnus smiled, his eyes glowing.

"Good, but I had no idea I was considered a natural." Sirius chuckled.

"You became an Animagus faster than any wizard or magical creature I've ever heard of. And earlier, too. If you don't mind my asking, what was your reason? It must have been important." Sirius glanced over at Remus before smiling mysteriously.

"It was for a very close friend of mine." Talnus glanced back and forth between the two adults, Remus now flushed and Sirius still with that strange smile. He smiled knowingly and nods. He now understood.

"Well, if you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your quarters." He smiled, turning toward the school. To the newcomers, there was nothing but a cobblestone street leading off into space. Talnus stopped at the edge of the path. Curiously, the band followed, standing behind the headmaster. He raised a hand and seemed to press his hand against thin air.

"Acclaro." He said firmly. The air beneath his hand shuddered and then colors seeped into the air. The scene before them completely changed, and they stared at the scene in pure shock.

People and creatures of all types and ages were swarming the now completed cobblestone street, which banked off into other streets that stretched away from them behind houses and bustling feet. The types ranged from 'dark' creatures like vampires and werewolves to 'light' creatures like fairies and sprites in flight. There were some wizards and witches as well, and they walked harmoniously with one another through the village. There were shops and houses spanning in the distance, at the bottom of the hill as far their eyes could see in both directions.

Atop the hill rose a huge castle shaped edifice, reaching toward the sky with gray scraggly spires, flags blowing in the wind from the poles strapped to the top. there was a large, wooden door stationed at the front, bolted shut. Windows upon windows had been placed into the bricks, where the classrooms and dorms were most likely. Nothing else could be see from behind the front, but they all had a feeling that there was more to the castle than the eye could detect. There, obviously, was the school.

Talnus smiled once again as they gaped like tourists at the scene. That had clearly not been what they expected.

"Where…where are we?" Harry breathed.

"The village I wrote about. _This_," He pointed proudly to scene before him, "is Mystic Ridge."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Talnus smiled once again as they gaped like tourists at the scene. That had clearly not been what they expected._

_"Where…where are we?" Harry breathed._

_"The village I wrote about. This," He pointed proudly to scene before him, "is Mystic Ridge."_

Chapter 9: Mystic Ridge

"Mystic Ridge, huh?" Harry murmured to himself, his eyes as big as saucers. Talnus smiled wider and motioned for them to follow. Their feet moved as if numbed as they walked toward the village.

"You might want to close your mouth, you could catch flies." His comment earned a glower, and all it made the sprite do was laugh.

"Is this where we're going buy our supplies?" Harry's eyes swiveled back and forth, nearly ignoring Hermione's comment.

"Yes and where you're going to live."

"Here?" Remus gasped as he side-stepped a little girl with golden eyes. Her tiny fists held a large lollipop, almost as big as her head. Her bronze hair had been pulled into pig tails one each side of her face. She barely noticed that they almost collided, skipping to her amber-eyed parents without a care in the world.

"Yes, here. There are some domestic areas among all these shops. It's about a five minute commute to the school from here and even less by port key." At this statement, they continued on. As they passed, vendors immediately started to parlor their wares. They held out goods beseechingly from their little carts. It was like a Middle Eastern bazaar mixed with a Western shopping mall – it was open along the streets, but there were still some enclosed shops that one could use as a refuge from the hustle and bustle around them.

"Why here? Aren't there dorms at the school?"

"Yes, but you all want live to together, don't you?" Hermione nodded. "Exactly. If you were all in dorms, you would be on opposite sides of the school. Not to mention that Misters Black and Lupin are not permanent teachers, so they technically are not allowed to stay in the school. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but you'll find that the house is quite cozy." He seemed genuinely remorseful.

"It's all right, Talnus." Remus assured. "We'll be fine. That's actually a better deal than I expected." They walked past the shops, the bustling streets thinning out. The buildings became more like houses and apartments than stores and vending carts. They came to a stop before a large house, tilted at strange angles. It fit like a puzzle piece to the houses around it, and the upper rooms jutted out from the base on both sides, making the house look like a rectangular prism sandwiched between two cubes half its size.

"How does that house stand up? It seems like it's about to fall." Hermione tilted her head to the side, her lips persed and her brow furrowed. That face, Harry knew, was her thinking face – she always had it on when her brain was trying to figure something out.

"Magic and the buildings around it. Both are means for support, not mention that the bricks are especially sturdy. They were made from the mud around the around the castle, which had long since been saturated the with magic that my school has absorbed throughout the years. They can't be destroyed by Muggle means." Talnus smiled proudly at the ingenuity of his people.

"Oh, well, that explains a lot."

"One more question: how are we gonna pay for this?" Remus muttered worriedly. They hadn't expected separate housing and therefore had not planned to pay.

"As the headmaster of the school that gives this place life, I was able to pull some strings to get you this house. Since you arrived here later than it took for the house to be assigned to you, the time for free rent has been shortened to three weeks – I'm sorry but it's the only way I could get the house on such short notice. One week after school starts, your payment will be due. I will send Avaric by with the information and means to contact Gringotts if any questions here arise. You can even set up an account that I can draw from. I am sorry you have to pay, but by mid-terms you'll have given the bank enough money for this house to be your permanent residence – at least until you young adults move out on your own."

"Can we do such a transaction all the way over here?" Sirius asked curiously. Since he still had control over the Black vault, he would love to pay for his godson's last year at school, since he'd never gotten the change before. Of course, he would ask Harry for permission. He didn't know the extent of his independence.

"Gringotts has a sister bank in the village; you should see it when you go into town for supplies. The goblins there are greatly connected to the ones in Britain – some are even related. They will walk you through the process." Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed twice and Talnus tilted his head toward the noise. "Well, I must go; it is time to check if there are any more acceptance letters and I seriously need to feed Avaric." His voice trailed off, and his pearly eyes fell to the ground.

Her perked up seconds later and smiled.

"I bid you all a good day." all the new arrivals nodded in return. He disappeared with a loud 'pop.'

"Well, that was interesting." Harry commented wryly, his face contorting into a small smirk.

"No use waiting around; let's settle in." Hermione chirped. She bounded toward the door and the last three followed.

Once they were inside, Harry let Hedwig free from her cage. She hooted excitedly and flew out to stretch her cramped wings. She circled around the ceiling, which was relatively high – a spell had been used to make it like the tent at the TriWizard tournament.

"This place is amazing." Sirius breathed. It looked so much better than his ancestral home, but not because of the luxury. Everything was a colorful red and lively gold, just like the Griffyndor common room – without the lions and house banners. The headmaster must have had some sort of knowledge of their lives before if he knew to make the house as homey as it was now. The familiarity eased the culture shock of coming to America greatly.

The living room was entirely furnished; couches took up the back walls on either side of the entrance to the kitchen and a mahogany table sat in the middle, its curved legs carved with strange symbols – runes most likely.

There was a matching TV stand facing it, with places for a television, a VHS player and cable box – all the things Muggles used.

"So…I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that electronics work here?" Hermione quipped.

"Apparently." Harry answered, trying to hide a smirk when he saw Remus and Sirius's confused expressions. Magical people here in America weren't nearly so separated from Muggles, so pureblooded wizards from Britain would have absolutely no idea what the devices were for.

He moved to kitchen in the back. It held everything – a stove, fridge, microwave, cabinets – it was the perfect size for them, since Harry and Remus generally did the cooking. Although, Harry would have to give him a lesson in how to use the ones he wasn't familiar with.

A long set of stairs led off to the second story and beyond, with a door next to the bottom – it could be either a closet or a bathroom.

"Hm…" Sirius hummed, eying the stairs "I'm going to check the next floor. Anyone want to join me?"

"We might as well go; we need to get unpacked soon so we can go for supplies. The sun doesn't go down for at least another few hours." Remus smiled at Sirius almost shyly and followed him on his way up the stairs, waving for the others to follow suit.

Upstairs, there were five rooms – two bedrooms, an office and two bathrooms. The bedrooms face each other on opposite ends of the hall and the office flanked by the bathrooms in the middle. Hermione glanced around in confusion.

"Wait, there aren't enough rooms for all of us."

"Well, there's still another floor, right?" Sirius motioned to the ceiling. "Maybe there's another one for you two."

"Alright; let's go, Harry." The only witch drug Harry up to the end of the hall on the right, where another set of stairs led up the final floor. At the top of the stairs was an opening, just large enough for an adult to fit through. They ascended the stairs, Harry clutching his empty cage so as not to drop it, and helped each other into the room.

"Whoa…" Hermione breathed excitedly. The room spanned the entire cube-shaped story, like a loft. It was seemingly divided into two sections right down the middle. The right side was on a platform raised about four inches. There were naked, four poster beds with an elegantly carved head board and foot board on both sides, and mahogany dressers facing them on the opposite walls. A foot or two away from each was a mahogany desk. There was a desk lamp and chair for each. The walls were bare, with little hooks for pictures. There was even a stand for Hedwig's cage, with a perch leading off to the side. He'd asked for one for his dorm at Caliber's, and it had been sent over here. Hermione, who had yet to replace poor Crookshanks – he had run away after her parents were attacked – hadn't asked, since she would find another familiar when they went shopping. "We've got a room all to ourselves." Harry chuckled.

"So, which one do you want?"

"I'll take the left. _You_ can be the one to have to watch your step every morning." Harry rolled his eyes and walked to his side, placing Hedwig's cage on the stand. He whistled and the bird came with a whoosh of wings to her master. She settled happily on her new perch, and started to preen her feathers.

"Well, _someone_ made herself right at home." Harry smiled and patted the bird. Hedwig nipped at him for the quip, making his master laugh.

Harry and Hermione – ok, well, _only_ Hermione, since Harry had yet to get a wand – started the process of unshrinking their things and placing them in their places. The room was still moderately bare; they would definitely need to shop for sheets and other things here. Not mention the other appliances for the living room.

"Hey, are you two done?" A voice called from the stairs. It was Remus, poking his head into the room to check on them. They turned to the werewolf.

"All set. Are we going into Mystic Ridge now?" Hermione asked as she reached for her cloak. Harry followed suit.

"Yeah; we're going to the bank first. Make sure you grab your supply lists." After completing his request, the students followed their guardian down to the front door where they met with Sirius. The Black heir opened the door for all of them and the little group made their way out of the house. The streets were still emptier on this side of the town, but they were surprised that the crowd had also thinned on the main road – apparently all the shops were starting to close down.

"We should hurry." Remus muttered. Thankfully, they only had to go a little ways from where they were standing to get to the bank – it really was amazing they had missed it. Its walls were a soft metallic bronze color, with its name, Garrigon's, carved into a plaque above the front door. The doors rise to about three feet over Sirius's head – and he was tallest one in their group.

They enter the bank to find it eerily like Gringotts, there were same chandeliers and the same sort of desks for the workers, only the goblin they saw was much nicer. His name was Girt and he had their account up and ready within minutes, his gnarled fingers dancing across the keyboard of his computer – yes, computer; America was getting better and better by the minute. They were each given an empty bag with the number of the vault on it. All they had to do was say how much they needed and it would appear in the bag. And, it was charmed to only accept commands from the four of them, as well as connected to both the Potter and Black vaults, so the chances of running out was very unlikely.

Soon they were back out on the streets. The street lamps had begun to glow softly on the sides, even though there was still a little light left.

"Alright, let's split up; Sirius and I will get the necessary things for the beds and the like while you two go and find as many school supplies as you can. What you can't get today we'll go tomorrow at a better time, since we're going to hold off on buying the electronics for the living room until then." Remus sighed. "Well meet here at Garrigon's when we're done, all right?" Hermione and Harry nodded to them as they walked away.

"Where are you going first, Harr?"

"To the wand shop, definitely; I have got to get myself another one. I do _not_ like being this vulnerable."

"Alright; well, I'm going to the bookstore. I'll be there if you need me. If you want, I can your books for you so you don't have to." Harry chuckled. He'd expected that from the little bookworm. But, that was why he loved her.

"That'd be great. I'll get your other supplies when I get mine."

"All right, see you when we leave." the two wizards parted ways then, turning in opposite directions to their shops. Harry was sure he'd seen the wand shop somewhere around here...

Harry suddenly smacked straight into someone else, knocking them from their feet.

"I'm so sorry." Harry said earnestly. "Here, let me help you up." Harry extended a hand to the cloaked figure when he tried to stand. A slim hand slipped into his and he shifted his weight to yank the other person up right, close to his chest. Now, he got a good look at who he'd run into. The other was about inch taller, so he was looking right up into their face. Harry froze; he hadn't expected this person – man, he corrected – to be so..._beautiful_.

Almond shaped eyes framed by wire-rimmed silver-plated glasses gazed back into his, a warm and inviting forest green that darkened into the dark black in the center. Harry trailed his eyes indulgently along his small, thin nose, and high cheekbones, tainted with a small slash of pink. Warm pink lips were quirked into a soft smile, uncertain though his expression was. Harry could see very little of the clothing beneath the cloak he was wearing, but he did notice that his cloak was tied tight about his slim neck by a silver clasp, shaped like a wilting leaf.

Golden wheat hair hung about his thin shoulders like a halo, cascading farther down over his green silk covered back. The top half had been tied away from his face, and wispy bangs fell along his heart-shaped face on both sides to his chin. Harry's magic tingled pleasantly this close to the other, which only happened when he was around especially powerful creatures – he'd gotten used to it with Remus – so apparently there was something more to this beauty than met the eye. He glanced around for any proof and something pale in his hair caught Harry's eye. The apexes of two pointed ears peaked out from beneath the golden wave – he knew now that this man was an elf. At the sight of the appendages, the book he'd read before he left came rushing back to him – more specifically the part about the sensitivity of Elven ears. He couldn't tell the elf's age from his looks, but he hoped desperately that this beautiful creature was past adolescence. He silently prayed to whatever god that would listen that this was true.

"Thank you and don't feel bad; I wasn't really looking where I was going either." A lilting voice came from the tantalizing lips in front of him and snapped the struck wizard out of his trance.

"Um, you're welcome." He said lamely. The elf smiled shyly, ducking his gaze, and made to move past him. The idea that their conversation was going to end without him even getting to know the elf's name made Harry panic. He floundered for something, _anything_, to say to make him stay. "Wait, a moment." the elf turned back, his eyes relieved, as if he didn't want to leave either but didn't know what to say. "So…what's your name?"

Hey, blunt worked too.

"My…my name?" Harry nodded, smiling slightly. "It's Nar, Nar Elenion*." The elf flushed lightly. "Yours?"

"Harry Potter." Nar tilted his head, his eyes brightening.

"You're one of the transfer students from Britain, right?" Harry smiled, pleased with the fact that Nar hadn't immediately said anything about his fame; thankfully, his reputation had yet to precede him.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I'm a professor at Caliber's. I teach Care of Magical Creatures." Harry's smiled turned devious; what a coincidence.

"Oh really? Well, I guess we'll see each other then."

"Yes, I guess so." Nar smiled slightly. "Well, I'll see you, Mister Potter."

"Yes, yes you will." Harry said confidently and then smirked at the flush that blossomed on Nar's face. The elf quickly nodded and turned, Harry's gaze following him as he scurried away.

School was going to be fun this year.

*His first name means 'Fire,' and his last name means 'Star' in Quenya, so his name together technically means Firestar. I thought it was a cute one for him.

Read & Review please!


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks so much to all you who reviewed and faved my story!

A special shoutout goes out to harryfan160889, my wonderful beta, who reviewed my story and advised me to make some changes in my story. Chapter one has some slight changes, so go check it out. Chapters 2 and 3 should be up soon, and so on until chapter 9.

Anyway, here you go!

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_"Yes, yes you will." Harry said confidently and then smirked at the flush that blossomed on Nar's face. The elf quickly nodded and turned, Harry's gaze following him as he walked away._

_School was going to be fun this year._

Chapter 10: Mystic Ridge Part 2

Harry turned to look for the wand shop, the elf still at the forefront of his mind. He shook himself to clear his mind; he needed to be focused if he was at least going to get his wand before he had to leave.

Glancing around as he walked along the main road, Harry noticed a small wooden sign hanging down from the high eave at the front. The words 'Michelle's Wand Shop' had been carved into it and filled with black ink. A small wand stretched across the surface above the words with small nicks circling around the business end — sparks of magic no doubt. He smirked at the picture and walked into the shop. A small brass bell jingled on the knob of the thick oak door to announce his arrival. He heard a soft cry of something from the back and took the time until Michelle came to check out the shop. It was so...colorful. A stack of color-classified wands, ceiling high, rose up on the right, just like Ollivander's. A desk of red cherry wood sat in the middle with a moon — complete with a round-cheeked face — and what looked like a whole constellation of stars carved into the front panel. The edges had been carved into points and ran all the way down to the bottom with slim side planks. There was a dark chrome lamp, not being used, over a large book with yellowed edges.

Behind it led to an over hanging second floor, where he could see a table set out for two, with all the necessities – unclean plates, silverware, little cups. Whoever owned this shop had had company not too long ago.

He glanced around again. There were long stripes of color that swum along the middle of the gray floor, shifting places with the dying light. He slowly strode toward them, circling around to stare at the ceiling. It arched into a very shallow dome like a sunroof. It was stained glass, with colors from all over the color wheel bleeding together. Small, wire-thin lines of metal broke the rainbow river and curled in toward the center. From it hung a chandelier of curling metal, which reflected the color onto the walls.

A fireplace rose along the far wall, currently unused, but it looked like it would be amazing to sit in front of during the winter.

"Ah, hello! Welcome!" Harry started at the perky voice and spun toward the counter. A young, smiling man stood behind it. His hair was red as blood and slim strands hung down to his pointed chin. Square glasses perched on his small nose and had been looped into a beaded string that wound around his neck — his eyeglass holders. He was wearing a simple white button up with a red, nearly undone ribbon around the collar, and black pants that clung to his hips. "I am Michelle! Are you here for a wand?"

"Hello...My name is Harry. And, um, yes, I would like to get a wand." Harry walked up to the front with a slightly confused expression. This guy was so..._hyper_.

"You seem a little old to be getting your first, so, something happened to the old one?" He smiled toothily and leaned forward onto the desk like they were gossiping.

"Yeah. It…_broke_." The prodigy answered lamely, shifting his eyes away from the wandmaker's expectant face. It wouldn't do for him to go about telling everyone that he was once a convicted felon.

"Oh…" the redhead seemed put out at the rather uneventful answer, but he perked up immediately.

"Alright, well, do you remember what your other one was like?"

"Um…I believe it was holly…eleven inches tall…with a phoenix feather for a core. Do you have one like that?"

"Hm…yes, but no, no; that one won't do…" he muttered. Harry's brows disappeared behind his bangs.

"But that's exactly like my old one! Why would you change it?"

"Because _you_ have, dear." Harry blinked at the answer, realizing suddenly that it was true. He had changed; his outlook on life was different, that for certain. And a few years ago he would have never had the courage to flirt with anyone, let alone a professor, of all people, like he had before he came; he'd been far too shy, far too self-loathing. Now that he'd changed his environment, he felt better, more free; more self-aware than he had ever had been. And more mature, too.

The redhead stared at him intently, as if trying to figure something out. He uttered a soft 'hm' and then spun away toward the back. He took out box after box, throwing the ones that dissatisfied him over his shoulder and continuing on. Harry watched his exaggerated movement with barely concealed amusement. He liked this guy, quirky or not.

"Found it!" he crowed and bounded over to Harry like a happy little puppy, nearly beaming when he handed it over. Harry carefully took the box from his outstretched hand and lifted the lid. He gasped softly at the strange wand nestled among the plush, red interior.

It was a strange red, so dark that it looked black in any but just the right light. It was the smoothest wand he had ever seen. His old wand had been separated into three sections: the thick, mottled handle, a thinner, rugged middle, and a thin, smooth end. This one was one long, sleek piece of wood that got steadily thinner to the rounded point at the end. He gingerly took it out, and the effect was almost instantaneous.

A rush of magic washed over him, sending a rush of blood throughout his body, into every nook and cranny. His body sung when it came in contact with the wood. He had to actively suppress a moan as he relaxed and let the feeling wash over him. The pleasure of such power took over his senses and it rushed hot and thick through his blood stream, like molten lava that set his every nerve on fire; All around him the wand boxes rattled at the sudden magical swell, and even the wand-maker closed his eyes as the feeling washed over him.

This was ten times better than with his old wand. He felt invincible, like he could do anything, anywhere, anytime.

"This wand…it's perfect." His voice was smooth and husky, like melted chocolate. Michelle's body shuddered in pleasure at the sound, the rich timbre nearly sending him to his knees. Very few of his customers reacted so strongly to his wands, and when they did they always got this way. He smiled at the look of shocked delight on the man's face, his unusually brilliant eyes now a liquid myrtle green, and pushed back from his counter with shaky legs.

"That's petrified wood, treated with the blood of a thestral, with a thestral hair for its core. It should be about eleven inches, like your old one, but lighter."

"Why thestral?"

"You have an air of death around you." Harry nodded, reluctantly putting the wand back. People did tend to die when they came in contact with him.

"Hm, yeah; I've lost a lot of people in the past."

"Well, there's that, but this is different. Death will play a huge part in your future, but...not the way you're thinking." at Harry's confused look, Michelle merely smiled enigmatically. "Just trust me, dear boy; I have knack for seeing others the way they are, or will be. Don't worry about it; you'll see." he patted the prodigal man's shoulder comfortingly.

Harry nodded and shook off his confusion; that was a subject for another time. He straightened himself back up and smiled pleasantly to Michelle.

"How much?"

"$37.50, please." Michelle said and Harry pulled out his bag and said the amount. The bags they got from Garrigon's magically converted the Wizarding money into the currency of the region, and Mystic Ridge followed the Muggle dollar system, therefore he pulled the amount, exactly, out of the bag and handed it to Michelle. The redhead took it and placed it in an unseen drawer.

"May I see your wand box?"

"Sure." Harry handed it over. Michelle took out a small, dark brown wand and waved it over the black box. Slowly golden letters were etched into the wood, spelling out his name in a loopy, beautiful cursive.

"Here you go." Michelle handed it back along with a small little bag for the box. "Have a nice night."

"You too, Michelle; you too." Harry took the offered bag and walked out with a wave and a smile. When he stepped out of the street, there was barely anyone out. There were few stragglers that looked either shady or nervous; the nervous ones were most likely wary of the shady ones. The book store was further down, and the mundane stores, one that sold the linens and other things, were in the opposite direction, so he didn't see any of the others.

The sound of wind chimes caught his attention to another store. The soft, slightly chilled breeze flew through it and forced the silver rods together to make a soft, tinkling music. It hung over another shop across the street. The window had a painted picture of an owl perched on a tree above a tabby cat with a frog at the cat's feet. It said 'Pesky's Pet Shop.'

Remembering that Hermione had no familiar, Harry decided to step in and take a look. It looked promising, if anything, and if he didn't do anything else today, he would do that. There seemed to be just enough time to browse through the animals and look for one for her.

He crossed the street and into the shop. When he walked in, the lights were dim and soft, homey to be exact. The air was relaxed, and he got the feeling of a jungle or a forest. There were growing vines all over the walls, pulsing with life. They clung to the bricks but never touched the crates that were arranged throughout the store in a maze of animals. It was like the plants had started growing from somewhere inside the store; their origins must have been placed in the back behind the front desk, because that was where they seemed to disappear.

There was someone bent over at the front, and a small cockatoo on a perch staring at him intently.

"Um…hello?" the person jumped to him, peering at him from behind large glasses. His hair was white and his face wrinkled, but his eyes were as bright as the stars. There was no doubting that this old man had a sharper mind than body.

"Ah, what can I do fer ye, sonny?" he asked shakily. He reached up a shaky, gnarled hand to push up his glasses to see him better. Harry made sure to be straight ahead of the old man, so as to help him out.

"Yes, I was hoping to get a familiar for my friend; she recently lost hers-"

"Then what are ye doing up here? Go look fer one!" he waved Harry crossly away, turning back to whatever he had been doing before Harry walked in. The white bird remained silent and vigilant, never taking his eyes off Harry. Harry blinked in surprise at the rough brush off, but complied anyway; best not get him riled up, so he wouldn't get himself kicked out.

He walked along the rows, checking back over his shoulder to see the pesky bird watching him like he was some sort of criminal, through a batch of bored looking toads, cats and owls. They were all either sleeping or ignoring him. Well, all except for one. A thin, gray, slightly fluffy cat watched his every move from its little corner. Its light charcoal markings ran in three spikes along its forehead and then along its back, circling its body over and over again. Its tail swung back and forth slowly with rings running down to its rounded end. Its eyes were a strange, beautiful turquoise, pupils dilated in hyper-vigilance, and there was a pink scar running along its cheek. It was very curious about him that was for certain. It was larger than a normal house cat, and clearly tougher. There was a calculating intelligence about it, and it seemed like it was analyzing everything he did in an instant.

He walked toward it and looked at the information sheet attached to the cage door. Unlike many of the others, there was a name written on the sheet, along with gender, species, age, shots; all the important stuff. This cat was a female, one-third bobcat, and it was only about three years old. It was up to date on shots. The best part was that her name was Athena – a perfect name. Athena was the goddess of war and wisdom – two things this seemed to have and have seen in abundance. She would be perfect.

Harry turned to walk toward the counter when a soft, inquisitive meow stopped him. He turned to cat to see Athena pawing at the lock. She wanted out.

Taking a chance, Harry undid the lock, making sure the grouchy old man wasn't watching, and pulled the door open. Athena peered over the edge before leaping gracefully out; she made no sound when he paws hit the ground. She rubbed her side against Harry's leg once, in thanks, most likely, before stalking toward the counter – like she knew she wasn't for Harry and therefore didn't make the effort to get used to him. That or she didn't care.

Harry followed the cat to the front desk. That damned cockatoo stared at him the whole way like a guard bird until Athena leapt onto the desk. It gave a startled squawk and fluttered its wings nervously. Its eyes bulged out of its head as it warily gazed at the creature it knew only as predator. Athena merely started to clean herself. However, Harry saw her pass an almost amused look to the bird before focusing back on her bath. He rolled his eyes.

This cat and Hermione would get along just fine.

The owner appeared seconds later, probably having heard his bird's distress.

"You-Why did you let her out?" He snapped. Athena looked up at the old man unblinkingly. He scowled at the beautiful cat and turned back to Harry with the same disdain.

"I want to buy her." Harry said flatly. This shopkeeper was really starting to get on his nerves. Pesky was a perfect name.

"Oh. Two hundred dollars."

"Alright." Harry sighed. He fished out the money from his back after announcing the amount. When their transaction was over, he turned away and left without further ado to the grumpy store clerk, although he did send a glare toward the cockatoo as he walked out. Athena followed close behind, keeping within at least a three inch distance from his legs.

Harry, pleased with his purchases, headed for Garrigon's.

_Meanwhile…_

Hermione browsed through the volumes along the shelf she'd found herself at, hefting two already –hers and Harry's Sigil Applications books. She was looking for her Palm Reading book, and Harry's Astragalomancy book. Next she would move on to look for her Runic Magic book and her Muggle History book…

A effeminate giggle startled her out of her reverie. She looked up and around, trying to find the source. Finally her eyes landed on a table in the far corner; there was a group of girls around it, giggling behind their hands at some boy who sat in the middle. She shifted so as not to be easily discernible from the book shelf as she tried to get a better look.

The boy looked about seventeen, as did all the occupants of the table. Inky black hair fell about his shoulders in a shaggy dark halo – like a dark-haired lion mane, her mind supplied. His hair seemed to suck the dim lighting into it instead of reflect it, it was so dark. Black bangs swept over his forehead and hung into a pair of the strangest eyes she had ever seen. They were a dark, deep red, so dark they were almost black – one could call them crimson, if one wanted. His pupils were virtually nonexistent; the black nearly melted into the irises. His skin was a pale mocha, really more of a caramel and contrasted nicely with the dark eyes and even darker hair; he was as exotic as they come, and she could tell there was something inherently not human about him; he had to be a magical creature.

From here she could see that he was tall, at least six inches taller than her. His gangly legs were propped up on the table in front of him and his hand was tucked under his chin; his mouth was quirked into a lazy smile, giving an air of ease that so few boys his age could achieve. It was clearly working with the women around him; they were practically fawning all over him and batting their eyelashes like there was something stuck in their eyes.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the task at hand; if there was anything she was good at, it was not letting a pretty face distract her (and by Merlin, she had to admit he was one of the hottest guys she had ever seen).

The dark haired boy smirked at the humans around him, gushing about him and the upcoming school year at Caliber's.

Human women were so easy to manipulate.

Sure, he'd had his fair share of lovers – some he had actually cared for – but it was much more enjoyable to tease them into doing what he didn't have the energy to do. It was far less emotionally involved and despite the fact that he had cared about the others, they'd bitched about his less than energetic tendencies, and therefore he'd broken it off. Although, most of them had been of his kind, and therefore were a lot more picky and volatile than mortals; also a lot harder to catch, which was another reason he looked for his lovers in other species.

Recently, though, it was getting almost too easy, and he could feel himself getting bored; he needed a challenge – someone not so easy to get. He needed a girl who didn't immediately swoon at the sight of him. If only he could find someone…

The scent of disdain caught him and he glanced around the book store; it was coming from the back, near the Divination section. He caught sight of a girl, standing up on her tiptoes trying to reach a book. She finally grabbed it, and relaxed back into a normal stance, her face in the profile view. He could see that she was quite attractive, if one got past the frumpy clothes and bushy hair. Her skin was pale and unblemished, better than any girl he'd ever seen. She wasn't wearing any make-up and yet it seemed to glow with natural beauty. She far outshined any of the women around him. She had a crisp air of responsibility and detached attitude, like she could care less if the people here accepted her or not, and the fact that she hadn't come over to see him – he had a natural allure that drew in all but the strongest of women to him like moths to a flame – said she would be hard to go after.

There was something else different about her; he was sure he'd never seen her around here before. She had to be one of the new exchange students, the ones from Britain he'd heard about. She could pose quite a challenge…

He stood, making his way through the throng of protesting women, saying little placations to stop them from following him as he made his way to new girl.

Hermione shifted the stack of books in her arms and sifted through the titles to make sure she had everything. There were the first two, the Sigil Apps books, their divination books, her Muggle History books, Harry's alphabetical guide to magical creatures, an apparition book to help him-

"Are you sure you should be handling all of them yourself?" A deep, sultry voice came from behind her and startled her so bad she nearly dropped her stack. She spun around, straightening her load as she did, fully intent on enlightening whoever it was why they should _not_ sneak up on her like that.

Her words died on her lips. It was the boy from before.

"Uh-what?" she asked, immediately blushing at her lame answer. She refused to reduce herself to the simpering lot she'd seen before.

"I said, are you sure you should be handling all of those books yourself? They seem sort of heavy." He offered a charmingly handsome smile, and she felt her mind cloud. She shook her head and reminded herself, firmly, that she was not here to gush over some boy she'd just met. Not after that disaster with Ron. She straightened herself up and shook her head.

"I'm fine, thank you; they're not that heavy." She smiled politely but nothing more. She would not encourage him. His smile turned wicked, and he had a strange mischievous glint to his eye; immediately she didn't like it. What was he thinking?

"Alright; if you're sure. What classes are you taking?" he grabbed the books from her before she could answer, reading the titles. He raised an impressed eyebrow at the list. "Dark Magic; interesting." He looked up at her with a smirk. "So, I heard you were smart."

"Yes, you could say that." She allowed herself a little smug smile. If there was anything she would brag about, it was her smarts. She planned on being the top student this year too, new school or not.

"Well, if you want the top spot, you're going to have to get through me." Hermione's smile disappeared and her eyes widened. He smirked at her expression. "See you at school, Ms. Granger; it'll be fun beating you." And with that he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned ex-Gryffindor in his wake. It took a few minutes for her to realize that he'd called her by her name, and hadn't offered his either, but the shock – and indignation, if she was being honest – of that was destroyed by her own competitive nature.

She shook her head and walked to the counter, passing him on the way there. He was back among his fan club. He sent her a little smirk, which she gladly returned. His brow raised and he turned back to the other women. She turned back to the counter, paid the right amount, and headed outside toward Garrigon's, a smirk on her face. She could feel the fires of competition rekindling – they'd lost their spark since fifth year, when she'd only had one rival, and that was Harry in Potions with Slughorn. It felt nice to finally have someone who could compete with her.

And as for him…it was _so_ on.

Ok, so, I made their purchases much cheaper than in Britain; I just picked a random number for both.

Anyway, I just want to point out something – I didn't say his name on purpose. They're gonna meet him later on and get to know that and what kind of magical creature he is later (although, my beta figured it out, so you guys might too…)

Read and Review please!


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks to all who faved and reviewed and even sent me some of your suggestions on the guy from last chapter.

I would just like to tell all of you that now I am adding two new pairings: Severus/Lucius and Draco/Blaise (thanks LaLa; your story gave me the idea for this one! XD). The pairing itself won't be important, but the people will be.

Beta: harryfan160889

**_Last Time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_She shook her head and walked to the counter, passing him on the way there. He was back among his fan club. He sent her a little smirk, which she gladly returned. His brow raised and he turned back to the other women. She turned back to the counter, paid the right amount, and headed outside toward Garrigon's, a smirk on her face. She could feel the fires of competition rekindling – they'd lost their spark since fifth year, when she'd only had one rival, and that was Harry in Potions with Slughorn. It felt nice to finally have someone who could compete with her._

_And as for him…it was so on._

Chapter 11: Ira et Cogitati

Dumbledore was _not _happy man, Molly Weasley concluded silently. His usually grandfatherly face had darkened with anger and his blue eyes no longer twinkled. The wrinkles sank deeper into his face as he frowned, creasing around his eyes and making him seem older than normal. She scooted closer to her husband and draped her arm over his. He nodded and did nothing else, afraid to draw the pissed off headmaster's attention to him.

The jars on the shelves behind him rattled and clanked against one another as his magic strove to find a way out. Fawkes stirred in his cage and ruffled his feathers restlessly; he could feel his master's anger and he desperately wanted to leave; to trust his fate to the winds and fly far away from here, as he had not been able to do since he had become the headmaster's familiar – but now Albus had changed. He trilled sadly and slumped in his cage.

His reaction went unnoticed as Dumbledore gripped the fabric of his pants and ground his teeth together in an effort to stifle some of the anger rising up in him.

"Ron and Ginny – where are they?" his voice came out as a near snarl.

"Th-they are coming, Headmaster. They sh-should be here soon." Molly whispered timidly, hunkering down subconsciously. He seemed to rise up above her, something dark seeping around him into the air. She didn't know if it was his aura or his magic, but she got the distinct feeling of foreboding. Her senses screamed to run, but she couldn't.

And all this was because of those ungrateful children and their damned mutts.

Out of all the things she'd done for Harry, he had had the nerve to skip the country without a single note or warning and force them to face the wrath of Dumbledore. She had given him her home, let him date her daughter, and listen to his problems even when she didn't want to.

Now he had taken Hermione from Ron as well and filled her mind with thoughts of rebellion. Her damn loyalty to that Potter brat had torn her away from her son, and really, she was the only hope for the unfortunately untalented boy. He was a great Quidditch player, sure, but magically he was a dunce; the only reason he had had any good test scores _at all_ had been because of that know-it-all, and now she was gone. The Weasley blood needed at least some sort of genius brain and now their only chance of it had left and gone Merlin knew where.

Sirius and his little werewolf had taken them away before she could try to get back into their good graces, ruining her chances of getting in good with the Boy-Who-Lived. With her motherly nature, she could have easily pulled the vulnerable boy into their camp and they could have gotten this whole Dark Lord thing over with. Yes, she thought the boy was fragile; he had nothing going for him but the fame and the power. He was just desperately looking for some sort of family to cling to since he had lost his for various reasons, and she'd given him that. No matter how sad what he had to go through was, she needed to ensure the survival of her brood, and being surrogate mother to Harry had done that. Now, she didn't even have that to work with. Hopefully, though she could change that.

And, dear Merlin, don't even get her started on those twins of hers.

The door opened and in walked the youngest two of her family. Both looked less than happy; down right pissed off would just about cover it. Ron plopped ungracefully beside his parents, not noticing the glare the headmaster was sending him. Ginny sat primly near her brother and crossed her legs, throwing her fire-red hair over her shoulder.

"Now that you have finally decided to join us, report to us what you have learned." Dumbledore leaned forward onto the desk and placed his chin on his intertwined fingers.

"The, um, the goblins won't give the money back, sir. They said Mr. Potter himself made sure we couldn't touch it."

"And they reimbursed him." Ron's face suddenly turned as red as his hair.

"Yes, from our banks." Dumbledore's eyes narrowed at the red head, who dropped his gaze at the angry look.

First those two Marauders take Harry away from him, then Gringotts. What was going his way anymore? Dumbledore glanced around the faces of the group gathered and sighed. They all looked terrified. As much as their fear of him worked in his favor, it wouldn't do for them to liken him to Voldemort and loose faith in him. He needed their involvement until the very end, and that meant he needed to reign himself in. He forced himself to relax, and nearly smirked at the visible relief on all of their faces.

"And, what of Neville and Luna?"

"T-tonks is brining them by soon, sir." Dumbledore nodded and he could see Ron's face lighten in relief, like a puppy getting praise from its master.

"Molly, how were your efforts to contact the twins?"

"They should be here soon."

"Are they having trouble getting away from their store? I've heard that their store is the talk of Hogsmeade now that they've decided to reopen." He smiled pleasantly, the wrinkles around his eyes changing into laugh lines. His eyes regained their twinkle.

"No, they just needed to finish up a couple of things, and they should be here soon." The headmaster nodded, showing he would wait.

The door opened once more, and in walked Professor McGonagall, Tonks, the twins, and Luna and Neville. Neville looked less than pleased, Luna still looked dreamy, but her eyes swung from place to place, checking out the room and their opposition, just as Harry's training had taught her. The twins were smiling brightly, but their foreheads were crunched in worry and they kept sending apprehensive looks to one another. They stayed close and kept to the back, the last two ex-students following suit. Tonks and McGonagall, who both looked perturbed, filed in and closed the door behind them, finding their places near the younger adults.

"All of you here together, what a surprise!"

"We met in the hallway, sir." Tonks answered.

"Wasn't Severus supposed to join us?"

"Something came up and he couldn't come." Minerva answered. Dumbledore nodded; that was code for Severus was at a Death Eater meeting and wouldn't return until much later.

"So, Minerva, Nymphadora, is there something wrong?" The two women glanced at one another, afraid to anger the Headmaster. They had all experienced one of his tantrums and neither wanted to relive it again, but they couldn't lie. Albus would know immediately if they did.

"Well…Fudge just owled and told us some very grave news." McGonagall spoke up, taking the fall for the younger woman.

"And what is it?"

"P-peter Pettigrew has been taken from the ministry." Everyone froze, staring at the headmaster. His face froze as well and he took a deep breath,

"What?" he growled through gritted teeth.

"D-death Eaters snuck him out – we think it was Lucius Malfoy and Mr. Goyle, but we're not certain." Albus merely stared at her, telling her to elaborate with his gaze. "The Aurors in charge of Pettigrew were obliviated and do not remember exactly who it was." Dumbledore's magic clawed at him get out, once again bothering the contents of his office. No one noticed as the red bird in the corner's feathers darkened and he curled further in on himself, a saddened aura surrounding him.

"Find Pettigrew. We'll deal with him soon." He commanded. Both women immediately nodded and left to do his bidding, most likely going to meet with the rest of the Order.

Dumbledore swung his gaze back to the remaining group, mainly the young adults in question. Luna and met his gaze evenly with a far off smile, as did the twins, while Neville looked elsewhere after a pause. Dumbledore smiled and his twinkled brightened. He had found their weak spot.

"Mr. Longbottom, do you know anything of Harry's or his godfathers's whereabouts? I understand you were quite close with them before and after the…_incident_." Neville swallowed nervously.

"Um, n-no, Headmaster – _Dumbledore_. Nothing at all." He answered shakily, averting his eyes. Perfect.

"Really, Headmaster; we don't where they are." Luna cut in, trying to funnel some attention away from poor Neville. It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't a lie either. What could she do? He just seemed so _nervous_. She knew how he got under pressure, unless he was truly passionate about something – really, there was no way to fault the boy when it came to his beloved plants – and she wanted to spare him some torment. Dumbledore continued on, ignoring her.

"Are you sure, Neville? You could get in quite a bit of trouble being an accessory to kidnapping, you know." Neville's head shot up to stare at the man headlong, suddenly incensed. Even the twins were shocked by his vehemence.

"If they were to take Harry _anywhere_ – I'm not saying that they did – then it would be because he _wanted_ them to, not because they kidnapped him. They _actually care_ about him, Dumbledore." He snapped. Everyone's eyebrows, especially Ginny's, rose. Luna merely smiled; just like she thought; once they pushed it too far, he would snap. She shot a proud, sidelong glance at him, and a small swash of pink ran across his nose.

Dumbledore mentally scowled. Apparently he had underestimated the boy; he would not be as easy to break as he thought. Neville's brown eyes shone with that Gryffindor loyalty and his chest was puffed out defensively. He'd grown up since they had last met, it seemed.

Ginny ran her eyes over Neville, a plan already forming in her mind. She would have to change at least some of her initial plans, but she wasn't concerned.

Dumbledore opened his mouth again but ultimately closed it, upon noticing the blonde's expression. Luna's usually passive face had taken on a much sharper and angrier expression, now that she had realized that he was targeting Neville; not once had Dumbledore ever seen the young woman wear such an expression – for a Ravenclaw, she looked positively like a lioness, glaring at him and daring him to speak to Neville about Harry again.

But, the twins looked no better, ready to jump in at the shy ex-lion's defense at any moment.

Realizing that he was losing them, and fast, he backed up, turning toward the twins.

"So, boys, how is your shop coming?" the twins blinked at the sudden change in topic, surprised. Fred slipped an arm discretely to his twin's lower back, feeling, _somehow_, that George was very nervous. Ron was the only one who noticed, and his face contorted into confusion, shock, and then to disgust. His eyes narrowed at the twins, who levelly met his gaze; of all people, they would definitely not be afraid of Ron.

"Just fine, Dumbledore. Why the interest?" The Weasley family scowled at the pertinent answer, and both Arthur and Molly's mouths opened to reprimand their son. However, Dumbledore beat them to it.

"Just wanted to make sure my former students are all right, is all; can't an old man do that?" he smiled, but none were impressed. Okay, time to try somewhere else.

"And Ms. Luna, I see you had an article you wrote yourself in the Quibbler last month." At the mention of the other woman, Ginny rolled her eyes and instead smiled flirtatiously at Neville, who raised an eyebrow at her incredulously. She merely batted her lashes and flicked her hair over her shoulder, revealing more of her pale skin. Many a time she had been complimented by both Dean and Harry about how smooth her skin was, and this she used regularly to her advantage.

"Yes; Father let me take over the Snorkack articles for the time being." She said flatly, passing her hand over Neville's briefly. Immediately, he lost all attention in Ginny and flushed at the contact, glanced down and then away quickly, before smiling a shy, sort of lop-sided smile. Ginny scowled.

"So, Headmaster, may we go? We have, um, business to attend to at the shop and it really must get done-" George cut in nervously.

"So we don't have as much to do when we return home-" Fred picked up, nodding encouragingly with his twin.

"You understand, don't you?"

The old wizard blinked and then smiled, nodding.

"I'll stop by soon, all right? I want to see that shop of yours." The twins nodded absent-mindedly and hurriedly left, pausing to offer the younger two a hug and nodding to their family members, whom they had seriously forgotten about, before leaving toward the nearest floo. Molly looked upset at the abrupt leave, but said nothing.

"And I suppose you two may leave as well; but I will come by and check in. I don't believe I've seen Augusta in years; it would be nice to chat." Neville and Luna shared an apprehensive look before nodding at the headmaster. They quietly said their goodbyes and left quickly, flooing back to the Longbottom home as well.

Dumbledore turned to the others once he was sure the dissenters had gone – more specifically to the younger two. Ginny, the devious little woman, looked like she was plotting, while Ron looked angrier than ever.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, could I speak with your children alone please?" the parents looked ready to protest, so Ron stepped in.

"Mum, Dad, we're adults now; we're old enough to talk with him alone."

"But-"

"Let's go, Molly; let the children sort out their own affairs with Albus." Arthur urged firmly, his voice brokering no argument. Molly, the ever protective mother, at least for her family, eventually consented and made toward the door with her husband after giving her youngest two a firm hug farewell.

"We'll be at home, dears; see you for dinner, yeah?"

"Yes, Mum." The two sighed together, rolling their eyes. Molly nodded, still clearly not content, but acquiescing none the less.

Finally alone, Dumbledore got down to business. The jovial air about him vanished; his face was deadly serious.

"We need to go about this the right way, you two. To do this, I will need your help to break his little group apart. Do you think you could do that for me?" Ron spoke up first.

"Of course, Headmaster! What do you need me to do?"

"Trail your brothers, Ron; watch every move they make, starting now. Do you think you could do that?"

"Oh, yes; I'll get right on it." he stood quickly and made his way out. The remaining two watched the red head go, Ginny wisely staying in her seat. She knew Albus wanted to get to talk to her one on one.

"So, I do believe you know why I want you to help me, correct?"

"Yes, Headmaster; I'm the perfect one to do it."

"Good; when the time comes, I will need you to win him over. Do you think you could do that?" Ginny rose and smirked widely, a smirk any Slytherin would be proud of.

"Of course, Headmaster."

"Good girl. I will see you soon." The red head nodded and walked out of his office with a wave to him sent over her shoulder. She closed the door behind her ambled off toward the floo, looking to the world like a sweet girl walking aimlessly down the hall with her head in the clouds.

But that wasn't the truth; her head was filled with far more devious things. She would make them pay for turning against her, especially that bitch, Hermione. Her cheek was no longer red, but the humiliation still remained and stung just like she had done it minutes ago.

Harry's little group was going to crumble, and he would come running back to her, like he should have from the beginning.

And she would use the Longbottom boy to do it.

Meanwhile…

A cloaked figure stood proud in the center of like-dressed men and women, all bowed low in respect. Beady, red eyes glared at any who dared to look up at all, sending their terrified gazes down toward the ground. He reached both of his pale hands up and threw back his hood, revealing the thin-lipped, drawn, and deathly pale face of Voldemort. The dark wizard ran his eyes over the crowd, a wicked smile – a nasty slash across his alarming face – at the bowed heads.

"Where is the rat?" he hissed. None of the Death Eaters moved.

Nagini slithered up to her master, pooling her long body at his feet. He angled his arm toward him and his ever faithful familiar slid up silently to wrap contentedly around her master's neck.

"_Master_," she hissed, "_the rat is in the back. Malfoy will bring him shortly_." Voldemort nodded. The black sea of minions parted to reveal the cloaked form of Lucius Malfoy, barely a strand of his ice-blonde hair peaking from beneath the dark cloth. He held a squirming Pettigrew in his hands by his collar, dragging him to his dark master. He threw Pettigrew to the ground at the Dark Lord's feet and then backed away, taking his place among Severus and his son. Behind him stood his wife, Narcissa and her extended family and the Zabini boy, who stood as close to Draco as he dared.

Peter froze upon realizing his position. He trembled and kept his face low. Voldemort smiled predatorily at him.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Pettigrew?" he hissed.

"M-my l-lord…I-I c-can ex-explain…" the dark man's face twisted into rage.

"_No words can explain your stupidity_!" He roared and produced his wand. Everyone else in the room froze; they had all experienced what happened when Voldemort went on a rampage; curses started flying, and whether or not you were the intended victim did not matter. It was best to be ready for all situations. "You allowed the Potter boy to escape and now not even that old fool can find him. You've disrupted my plans _completely_!"

"N-no, m'lord, please! G-give me another ch-chance!" he begged. The man formerly known as Tom Riddle merely smirked and shook his bald head.

"You have failed me far too many times, rat. And you must pay." He hissed. He raised the wand over his head and ready to cast…and then stopped; his face became pensive.

"Severus…" he hissed suddenly. The black-haired man's face rose slowly, unsure.

"Yes, my lord?" he asked tersely.

"Come; let us see your loyalty." The group surrounding Severus tensed, and a pale hand shot out, gripping the back of Severus's cloak. Unseen, the beautiful face of Narcissa Malfoy twisted in fury and jealousy.

"But, my lord…you know I am faithful only to you." Voldemort smirked.

"Are you saying you won't do it?" Severus pulled himself forcefully from the safety of the crowd, missing the warm hand that had been there. He walked slowly, unsurely, to the lord's side, staring down at the rat in distaste to hide the feeling of apprehension that seeped through him.

"Of course not, my lord." he said without any emotion. He pulled his wand out and stared blankly down at the trembling man, who looked up at him with pleading eyes. He pushed that out of his mind, allowing his mind to retreat to that one place that safe-guarded his sanity. He kept a strict vigil on the protection of this place, enough that not even the Dark Lord could penetrate it — he knew this was the reason he was now testing his loyalty. Voldemort wanted to be able to access everything of minions'; not having total control irked him and recently he more and more frequently put Severus, and by extension, the Malfoy men to the test — however, Harry's imprisonment had prolonged Draco's test of loyalty; but now, there was no telling what he would make the blonde boy do. Dumbledore, who was currently being picked apart by the media, was out the question as a target. It would be too hard to kill him now. Harry had disappeared not long after the announcement of his innocence nearly a week ago, along with that tiresome Black, his pet wolf, and the Granger girl, effectively distancing themselves from both sides.

It would not be long before their plans would need to be put into action.

Severus raised his wand and, under the watchful and triumphant eyes of his sadistic master, cast the first hex.

Silvery-blue eyes remained fixated on his best friend, confidant, and lover as those bottomless eyes of his flattened out and became blank as the screams of Peter Pettigrew echoed throughout the room. A smaller hand grabbed his, squeezing tightly. He squeezed his son's hand back. Draco cared nearly as much about his godfather as Lucius, but in a different way. Both knew what this could do to their poor Sev; despite his legilimency and occulmency skills, these things weighed heavily on his mind and spirit. They, hopefully, could pull up his spirits enough that he would not descend into one of his funks. Those could last for days, and he even he could tell that something needed to be done soon, before anyone realized what they were doing.

Lord Voldemort's laughter rang out throughout the room just as '_Sectumsempra_' left Severus's lips. Peter, long since lost to the pain, offered a pathetic whimper. Disappointed, Voldemort reined his mirth in until he was merely chuckling.

"Enough, Snivellus." to his further disappointment, the unfavorable nickname did not get even a twitch out of his faithful crow. He walked to the pitiful mass of the trembling, vaguely-human minion on the ground and raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra." he sighed. He waved his wand and an electric green light shot out, hitting the man in the chest. Peter choked once and slumped, gone from the world at last. Severus walked in autopilot to his group, Lucius and Draco immediately pulling him to them, whispering softly to him, trying to rouse some sort of reaction.

Voldemort turned to his minions. From here he could see a strange reaction from Lady Malfoy toward her husband coaxing the life back into the potions' master; apparently all was not well among the collected purebloods — he could use that. Already the plans were forming in his mind.

Feeling much better now that he had taken care of one lose end, he called out to his flock.

"Death Eaters, you know your duties; all are dismissed." the crowd slowly dispersed, some walking away and some apparating out.

"Narcissa, Bellatrix, stay." the two women stared at him. Bella smirked and walked to him without a pause, waving her husband off when he tried to pull her back. Lucius, too, tried to keep his wife at his side, but she merely sent him a look of annoyance, clicked her tongue, and followed her sister. Both looked at him without fear; they trusted him to the utmost. He smirked; just how he liked them to be.

"So, my dears, we have much to discuss." Both women smirk in return.

Oh, yes; they would be perfect.

Read and Review, please!

P.S.: The title means 'Anger and Plans'


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for all the reviews and follows and faves!

Ok, so here it is! Hope you guys like it, cause it's kinda short. Anyway, here you go!

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_"Narcissa, Bellatrix, stay." the two women stared at him. Bella smirked and walked to him without a pause, waving her husband off when he tried to pull her back. Lucius, too, tried to keep his wife at his side, but she merely sent him a look of annoyance, clicked her tongue, and followed her sister. Both looked at him without fear; they trusted him to the utmost. He smirked; just how he liked them to be._

_"So, my dears, we have much to discuss." Both women smirked in return._

_Oh, yes; they would be perfect._

Chapter 12: Domesticus Consultatio

When Harry arrived at the bank, Hermione was just arriving as well and Remus and Sirius were already there. They both had their arms full of linens and other things that their rooms needed. Remus was glaring at Sirius, and his godfather had a very disconcerting Cheshire cat grin on his face.

Harry opened his mouth to ask, but closed it again when Remus gave him a look that said 'Don't. Ask.' Harry, like a good little boy, quickly changed the subject by showing Hermione Athena. At first, when Hermione tried to pet her, Athena pulled back, wary. So, Hermione placed her hand in front the cat so she could smell the witch's scent. For a moment the feline did not react. But then she pressed her head against Hermione's palm and purred — she had accepted Hermione as her mistress. She squirmed in Harry's arms until he let go, and immediately, upon hitting the ground, went and rubbed her side all along the witch's shins. Hermione smiled and lifted the steadily purring cat into her arms, nuzzling her cheek against the soft fur.

"Thank you so much, Harry. She's wonderful." Hermione murmured contentedly. She scratched behind Athena's ears and the cat's eyes closed in delight.

Suddenly another bell came from nearby; it rang ten times, which meant it was now ten o'clock. As they watched, a sudden change took over the village, like a switch was flipped. All the stores started to close, the street lights started to dim; shutters clanged shut on windows and the lights inside the stores were turned off.

"Apparently it's time to go." Remus muttered, shifting his bundle closer. He made sure not to spare a glance at Sirius, the incorrigible idiot, and therefore didn't notice that the dark haired Marauder's pleased grin turned into an unbecoming pout at the inattention.

"Yeah." Harry answered, noticing the exchange. Sirius had to have done something bad if _Remus_ wasn't going to pay him any attention. He would find out one way or another. "We should get home; we still haven't owled the twins, and we need to get these things up to sleep tonight." The group nodded, and they all apparated to their new home, Harry side-apparating with Hermione and the young witch clutching her new familiar close. Surprisingly, Athena didn't seem to mind; Harry had already come to realize that it would take a lot to spook that cat.

When they arrived, Hermione placed Athena on the ground to give her some freedom. She stayed beside her mistress for a moment, but then seemed to perk up, her ears straining forward and her body going completely rigid. Without further ado, she bounded up the stairs and disappeared.

"Interesting cat…" Remus answered and shook his head. He walked to the couch and dumped his pile of items, Sirius dumping his pile of office supplies on the couch adjacent. Remus had been carrying their bedroom sets, with a wide range of colors. He had made sure to grab as many as he could, so that they would all be happy with their choice. "Here you go. Pick one."

The young adults walked over to peruse the pile. Hermione chose one with a blue color scheme, while Harry chose one with a green scheme, since green was sort of one of his favorite colors. Sirius's was black, with charcoal and lighter gray accents, while Remus's was a rich brown and green combination, like the forest. Needless to say, they all held some sort of aspect of their owners.

All four turned in surprise when a sudden indignant squawk came from upstairs.

"That sounded like Hedwig!" Harry gasped and bolted toward the stairs.

"Athena must be-Harry, I'm coming with you!" Hermione called and followed, leaving the two eldest men in their wake. They share a look, before Remus 'humph'ed and walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, come on, Remus; you're not still hung up on that are you? I didn't mean anything by it!" Sirius whined, following the werewolf into the kitchen.

When Harry and Hermione finally arrived in their room, they met an unusual sight. Athena stood on Hermione's bed, her tail swishing back and forth excitedly. Her eyes were trained on the ruffled bird on the perch. Hedwig was all out glaring at the cat on the bed. White feathers littered the ground around her perch.

Apparently, Athena had smelled Hedwig, and followed after the 'prey' when they came home earlier. Hedwig didn't seem to have suffered much damage, so it was clear that she had held her own quite well.

"Athena!" Hermione scolded as she walked over to the cat. Athena didn't try to get away, merely stared at her and offered a woeful meow when the witch picked her up. Hedwig, now that she knew that she was safe, turned her head disdainfully from the cat. Harry sighed gratefully and walked over to his beloved owl, petting her comfortingly.

"Poor girl…attacked twice in a four days." Hedwig hooted softly in confirmation, pushing her head against his hand. He smiled slightly and turned to Hermione.

"Let's go get our room stuff. It'd probably be best to take Athena with you." Hermione nodded, and to her cat's chagrin, she continued to hold her as they made their way back to the living room.

They hurried down to grab their bedroom sets and went about putting their rooms together with their wands – Harry had gladly showed his own off, and received a lot of praise for the beautiful piece of magical wood. He had explained the new core, and greatly shocked the others by what the wand-maker said. They had never met anyone who could tell so much about a person from a first encounter. Hermione suggested that maybe Michelle was a seer, but Harry figured he wasn't; if he was a seer, wouldn't he not only know about his old wand, what happened to it, and have had the new one ready for him when he came in? But, Hermione argued, some seers got visions in small intervals; they didn't get to see everything, all the time. Some even had to drink something to jump start their powers, and therefore wouldn't know everything about everything.

Needless to say, the jury was still out of the nature of the strange wizard. Honestly, Harry sort of liked it that way. It kept the air of mystery around not only his wand, but also its maker and his future. Might as well have some anticipation – his future had been seen for him before by Trelawney, and he would rather everyone didn't know what was going to happen to him before he did, especially here, where he was trying to escape said future.

Anyway, they all went about setting the rooms up. When Hermione opened her wrapped bedroom set, she was pleasantly surprised. The comforter was the color of blue irises, with periwinkle swirls all along the cover. The pillows were the same, and the sheets were a powdery blue.

Harry's had a dark green comforter with light colored sheets, checkered celadon and white. The pillow cases were the same as the comforter. It sort of reminded him of Nar's eyes in the right light, and he was even happier with his choice than before. He smiled mysteriously, but didn't respond to the worried look of his roommate.

With that done, Harry immediately went to the living room to relax, while Hermione started to study her books, muttering something about some guy and 'being the best.' Harry decided to let it be. She was also there to moderate between Hedwig and Athena, to make sure the cat didn't attack the bird again. But, all she did was curl up at her mistress's feet and fall asleep as Hermione absently pet her.

Sirius was angrily walking out of the kitchen when his foot came off the last step. He brushed past Harry and walked up the stairs without even so much as an excuse me. Somewhere far off, a door slammed shut. Harry didn't take it to heart; if this had anything to do with what had happened earlier, then Sirius was just being childish. He had been asking for the cold shoulder apparently.

Being the curious person he was, Harry made his way to the kitchen. Inside, Remus was banging pans down on the counter, cleaning them manually for once. Harry sidled up to the werewolf, trying not to have any of the animosity directed toward him.

"Um, Remus?" Harry questioned gently.

"What?" Remus snapped and turned to him. When he realized it was Harry, some of the anger subsided. "Oh, sorry, Harry. Is something wrong?" he sighed and wiped his hand down his face wearily.

"Um, what's going on between you and Sirius?" Remus glanced at him and sighed.

"Sirius just…made an ass of himself at the store today." He answered.

"Why are you so mad at him then?"

"Because he used _me_ to do it." Remus crossed his arms and his eyes turned stormy; Harry knew he was remembering what happened.

"How? Usually you like helping him mess with people-"

"Yes, but he was trying to mess with a clerk who was clearly against – how do I say this? – same-sex couples."

"And?"

"And he kept flirting with me in front of him, touching my shoulder unnecessarily and things like that. At first I thought he was flirting, but then I realized he was doing it as a joke and… it pissed me off. It just tells me that he doesn't take my feelings seriously, and I can't handle that." He glanced at shocked Harry's face. "I'm sorry you kids saw that." He shook his head. "I'll guess I'll go apologize-" Harry stopped him, now looking angry.

"No, Remus; he knows that is a very stupid thing to do, and to hurt you like that-" Harry shook his head. "I'll handle this." Remus blinked.

"A-all right…but don't be too rough on him; I did kind of overreact…" Harry smirked; it was just like Remus to blame himself, especially if it involved Sirius.

"I'll try." He turned and made his way up the stairs, going down toward Sirius's room. He knocked and waited with his arms crossed until Sirius finally opened the door.

"Yes-?" Harry pushed his way under the arm holding the door open into his godfather's room. "Harry what are you-?" Upon noticing the completely serious look his face had however, Sirius closed the door with a sigh. "You know, don't you?"

"Yes! Sirius, how could you do that?"

"That clerk was a jerk! He kept giving us this disgusted look just because he _assumed_ that because we were shopping for bedroom sets together that we were lovers. Snivellus used to give me the same damn look whenever I passed by with Remus while he was screwing Malfoy behind closed doors – even _before_ Malfoy's sham of a marriage with that woman. I will _not_ take it lying down again!"

"But you used _Remus_ of all people to do it! Did you even ask him if he wanted to help you? Or tell him what you were going to do?" Sirius glanced away; he knew Harry was right. "You're too hotheaded, Sirius! You can't just do that! Especially with how Remus-!" Harry smacked his hand over his mouth, stopping himself from completing that sentence. His tongue flew when he was angry too, and he had almost spilled an important secret.

Surprisngly, Sirius seemed to become more ashamed at the last part.

"I…I know about how he feels about me…" He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wha-you know? How?"

"I…overheard him and Hermione talking about it." Harry paused to let the shock sink in, but then the anger came back full force. He knew he had promised Remus he would go easy on Sirius, but he was very protective of the werewolf, and he knew Sirius could handle it.

"You _knew_ and _still_ you did that? How could you?" Sirius winced, but stayed silent, for once taking the verbal lashing he knew he deserved. "You know what? You better fix this. You're my godfather and I love you, but you got yourself into this mess, and you're gonna have to get yourself out of it." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "But you better do it soon." He stared at him warningly.

"All right, all right, I promise." Harry nodded curtly, clearly still pissed. He walked to the door without further ado and briskly walked out. "Harry, wait!" He turned to his godfather, his face unreadable. "I think, I might need your help in the future – you know, if you're still not mad at me – on how to go about…telling him. Oh, and let me get my letter for the twins." Harry blinked but nodded slowly, waiting while he ducked back into the room. He returned moments later with a letter written on the notebook paper he'd bought earlier for their office and school supplies in a white envelope. Harry gladly accepted it.

"All right, I'll help you, and I'll talk to Hermione and the twins about it. But apologize to him, Sirius. He thinks it's his fault, of course. _Fix it_." Sirius nodded, looking pensive.

"All right…never thought we'd switch roles like this…" He sighed and rubbed the heel of his hand against his eyes. "Goodnight, Harry." he muttered as he closed the door.

"'Night, Sirius." He shook his head and made his way back to the kitchen. After promising that he had been fair to his other godfather, and taking Remus's letter (which he accioed from his room) back up with him.

When he came back to his room, Hermione was just getting ready for bed; she had her night gown on and she was closing her book.

"Are you all right? You looked troubled." Harry sighed and searched for a piece of paper and a pen so he could write his own letter to the twins.

"Sirius did something stupid and hurt Remus's feelings. I had to give him a nice talking to so he could screw his head on right."

"Oh? Is Remus okay?"

"Yeah; I basically threatened Sirius into fixing it. Aha! Here it is." He pulled out his chair to write now that he had found what he needed.

"Threatened him? How? And here's my letter, by the way; I did it while you were downstairs." Hermione placed it on top of his pile of letters.

"Over-achiever." He muttered under his breath. Hermione must have been tired, because the expected swing didn't happen; instead she glared her best as she crawled back into bed. Athena, who had been disturbed, curled back into Hermione's side and fell promptly asleep again.

"I told him he better fix it. The 'or else' was unsaid, but I think he got it. And he said he wants our help to tell Remus tactfully – finally that head of his is becoming of good use." He sighed. Silence answered him. He turned to the witch, thinking her asleep, only to see her staring at him with those hawkish eyes of hers. "What?"

"Do you realize how much you sounded like a _Slytherin_ just now?" Harry blinked, realizing it was true. He had sounded almost like…_Snape_ for a second there. Shuddering, Harry looked back to his paper.

"Well, things have changed."

"Yes, they certainly have. Well, I'll see you in the morning. Night, Harr."

"Night 'Mione. Sleep tight." She chuckled sleepily.

"Don't let the bedbugs bite…" she answered, finally closing her eyes. Harry looked to her with an amused smile before getting back to his letter.

He had it done – remembering to ask them how things were over there and to tell them about Sirius's dilemma – and put it snugly into an envelope in minutes. He gently woke his sleeping bird and coaxed her into taking the letters with one of her favorite snacks he'd brought with him from England – a small cookie that had been transfigured from a lemming (1) that retained the taste of the animal. It was all the taste without the hassle of fur, guts and the hunt. Hedwig gobbled it up and grudgingly accepted the task given to her (especially when he promised her three of the cookies when she returned, and stashed three more in another, easily-to-open pouch for her to eat to keep up her energy). He tied the packages to her leg and made sure to place a tracking spell on her and her packages, so they could find her and them if something happened. He opened his large window and sent her off, watching until the snow white dot disappeared from his sight.

He sighed and finally got ready for bed himself. He changed and quickly washed himself with a scourigify – using a wand again felt so liberating, especially with one so perfect for him. He placed his glasses down and climbed into bed. At the sight of the comforter, Nar came to mind again. He smiled as he slid back in; it was just one more week until he could see the beautiful elf again, and the week couldn't get over fast enough.

He fell asleep with a smile.

As they slept, a lone figure snuck down from the second floor toward the kitchen, his footsteps as silent as a cat's. He slipped through the living room and into the kitchen, leaving the one inside completely unaware.

"Remus?" the werewolf jumped and turned around. Sirius stood behind him looking incredibly sheepish.

"So, Harry got to you, huh?" Sirius nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Listen, I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it Sirius, I overreacted." Sirius shook his shaggy head and sighed.

"No, Remus; it's not your fault. In fact you've been quite level-headed about this. I'm the one who was being immature." Remus smiled slightly at the slightly pained look on his face – he'd never admitted to being childish before, not even at Hogwarts. "I just-I'm really sorry." Remus walked up and placed his hand of Sirius's shoulder comfortingly. He smiled.

"It's alright, Sirius. I promise, I'm not mad anymore."

"Good." Sirius sighed. He glanced at Remus, and a strange gleam came into his eyes. He smirked and suddenly pulled the werewolf into a hug. Remus gasped and froze as his arms slipped around his waist. Oh, Merlin…that was not what he had expected. This close to the full moon, he could easily smell Sirius while he was this close – he smelled of the earth and musk, and what a scent it was – and he leaned subconsciously into him, only to pull back with a flush.

"Thank you, Remus. You have no idea how glad I am."

"I-it's alright, Sirius. You-you're welcome." He awkwardly patted his friend's back, trying to ignore the way his muscles felt beneath his hands. Sirius pulled back with a smile – bordering on a (self-satisfied) smirk, really – and nodded.

"All right, good. Well, good night, Remus." He waved as he walked away.

"G-goodnight, Sirius." Remus called after him. When Sirius disappeared, he deflated, collapsing into a nearby chair. He sighed in annoyance at the fact that he couldn't get Sirius's scent out of his nose. It hung everywhere around him, starting to fade as time went, but he could still smell it. It was driving him crazy.

He stood with another sigh and made his way toward his own room, closing the door and making sure to place a silencing spell around the room, just in case his dreams were a lot more…_eventful _than usual. He plopped down on his bed face first and buried his head into the pillow.

Sleep would not be coming easily to him this night that was for sure.

No. 1: According to Wikipedia, a lemming is a small rodent that lives in the Arctic. I've put up a link to a picture in my profile. They're cute little things, I'll tell you.

P.S.: The title means 'Domestic Problems.'

Read & Review, please!


	13. Chapter 13

Hello everyone! I'm sorry this took so damn long to do – I blame laziness and the working out the timeline. But I think I got it down!

Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed and faved my story! You guys are great!

I just want to say that I made some changes to the time line and I changed DVD to VHS, because it_ is _in the nineties.

Anyway, here you go!

Beta: harryfan160889

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_He stood with another sigh and made his way toward his own room, closing the door and making sure to place a silencing spell around the room, just in case his dreams were a lot more…__eventful __than usual. He plopped down on his bed face first and buried his head into the pillow._

_Sleep would not be coming easily to him this night that was for sure._

Chapter 13: Plenus Luna

Harry awoke the next morning feeling conflicted. Last night, he had dreamt about Nar, which, to be honest, scared him a little bit. He had never been so incredibly fixated on one person from first sight. His soul was torn; part of him hated it, part of him reveled in it. Two years ago Britain had ripped his control away from him and he had suffered and bled until it had been returned to him. To him, lack of control meant pain and he refused to let it happen again. But, at the same time, Nar seemed so sweet and trustworthy…could he really hold his past against the adorable elf without even getting to know him? Especially since Nar didn't seem to know about his life in England at all…

Harry rose with a soft sigh, pushing those thoughts to the side for the moment. He would think about them later, when he was awake enough to do so. He swung his legs over the side and placed his feet on the floor, hissing softly as the cold seeped into his toes. He glanced over to Hermione to make sure he hadn't woken her, and thankfully he found her still slumbering. Only Athena peeked back at him, her ears perking as if trying to make sure nothing would hurt her mistress, and then she fell back to sleep.

Silently, he moved through the room, getting ready and grabbing his wand, before making his way toward the kitchen. As he passed, he glanced out of one of the many windows, seeing a waxing gibbous still visible in the brightening sky. He had learned from Sirius that there was at least a seven day span between the first quarter moon and the full moon, and Remus had yet to change, so the full moon had to be soon. He needed to ask Remus so they would know where the werewolf was going to stay, and if there would be enough room for Sirius to accompany him. Moony would be devastated without his pack with him, at least what was left of it.

He walked through the door to see Remus moving as best he could around the kitchen. He looked even thinner than normal and his body was moving almost like it was just going through the routine.

"Remus?" He gently called. The werewolf looked back behind him.

"Harry? Good morning," He murmured, yawning softly. He wearily turned his body, groaning when his aching joints screamed just how much they didn't like to be disturbed.

"God, Remus; you need to sit down," Harry ushered him into a seat. The werewolf allowed himself to be pushed into a seat. The cushioned landing felt much better than aggravating his poor body by standing.

"I-" he yawned again, rubbing his eyes. Harry noticed that there were dark bags beneath them, and the blue orbs themselves looked glassy. Had he gotten _any_ sleep last night? "I'm all right," Remus finished. Harry raised an eyebrow. "I see the look on your face, Harry. I know you're worried about me." He chuckled tiredly. "I'm fine." Harry frowned.

"Well, your definition of fine and mine must be different. You look like you didn't get any sleep last night."

"Yes, well…Moony kept me up." Remus flushed, but not for the reason that Harry thought. Moony hadn't been the only reason sleep had eluded him the might before. His dreams from the night before came rushing back, and he was embarrassed that he had to lie to his godson. Thankfully, the approaching full moon was very real.

"How many more days until…you know…"

"Two more after today."

"Merlin – we still need to get wolfsbane and a place for you to stay…can we do it in time? Thankfully, you and the other students will have enought time to recover before school starts…" Harry muttered.

"As for wolfsbane, Sirius and I saw a potion shop on the way back to Garrigon's yesterday. You could make the order there and have it ready before the big night. And as for a room…I suppose we'll have to talk to Talnus about that. I didn't see any other rooms, but there may be a way to make a Room of Requirement for myself and Sirius to stay." Harry nodded, although he still looked worried.

"Shouldn't we have gotten some before now?" Harry muttered, suddenly remembering that Remus needed to drink during the whole week before the full moon came, but he hadn't seen the werewolf drinking it once. He immediately felt guilty; why hadn't he noticed before?

"Well, Severus refined the potion so that I only have to drink starting three days before. I have a list of instructions and requirements that he asked for – I asked for my own copy just in case something happened. Apparently that was rather lucky batch of foresight."

"Well, good." Harry sighed in relief. "Hedwig hasn't returned from England yet, but she should be here by tomorrow morning. If I know my bird, then she will make sure of it." Harry smiled at his tenacious little owl. "And we can put the order in for wolfsbane when we go to get the rest of the appliances today."

"Alright. I'll go get the others up-"

"Oh no you don't." Harry jumped up before the werewolf could even get very far and stopped him by grabbing his arm. Remus felt shaky and feeble, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

"You are going to sleep. No arguments." Remus, shell-shocked, just stared at him. Harry held his tired gaze expertly. Suddenly, the werewolf smiled and hugged Harry.

"You've grown up so much. You really are like a man now." Harry smiled and patted his godfather on the back.

"I blame Azkaban. It put things into perspective for me." Remus nodded and pulled away.

"Wait just a moment." He whispered _Accio_ under his breath and a piece of paper appeared in his hand. "Here's the list I was talking about."

"Alright, now go sleep." Harry pushed him toward the door. Remus, not wanting to make the effort to walk all those stairs, simply apparated away. Harry blinked at the spot where the wolf used to be. _Damn_, he thought,_ I __**really**__ need to learn how to do that_.

Shaking his head, he walked up the stairs to wake Sirius first, and then Hermione. Both were up readily enough, especially when he explained about Remus's potion. They quickly dressed, secured their wands, and were ready in the living room, Athena stayed behind. Apparently, she wanted to be alone for a nice nap.

They left for the village at about seven thirty, Harry checked. They made their way, ambling along the main path until they reached the village. The shops were just opening, and the streets were starting to get full.

"Hm, that looks good," Sirius muttered, glancing at a small shop to their left. A steaming pastry had been painted on the window, and the sign read 'McGillicuddy's Bakery.'

"Ooh, let's go there; I'm starving," Hermione answered and walked without further ado toward the shop, the men following. A bell chimed when they entered, and the scent of bread and fruit washed over them.

"God, it smells amazing," Harry whispered, his stomach making itself known. He flushed when both of his companions sent him an amused look, mock glaring at them.

The trio made its way to the front counter, where a large variety of sweet treats were displayed. Danishes, cookies, pies, cakes and the like taunted them with their delicious scents.

"Here, you two." Sirius passed them a bag to pay for the food, his eyes never leaving the array of food in front of him. The two young adults eagerly grab the bag and walk up to the clerk, a middle-aged woman with flour swiped across her cheek and in her hair.

She smiled brightly when they walked up.

"How may I help you?"

"Three Danishes, please."

"What kind?"

"A glazed apple one for me," Harry piped up.

"Pecan and maple for me," Sirius said next.

"Um...and an apricot one for me."

"Coming up!" she spun away and disappeared into the back, behind a glass barrier. She quickly pulled open various ovens, searching for their food.

She finally found them and walked back to the front.

"$9.75, please," she chirped as she wrapped it up in wax paper and placed it into a bag. Harry whispered the amount and the bag produced it, and he handed it to the clerk.

"Thank you! Have a nice day!" She called after them as they walked off.

"You, too!" Hermione answered. The three walked back out of the shop, munching happily away at their unusual breakfast.

"Sirius, do you remember where the potion's shop is?"

"Yeah. Do you want to split up again? I can get the potion and you can go get those strange…_Muggle things_ you were talking about yesterday." Harry chuckled slightly when he wrinkled his nose as a sign of his discomfort with the strange technology.

"You mean the electronics," Hermione teased. Sirius scowled.

"Yes, yes, whatever. You go get them, and I'll get the stuff for Remus." Sirius waved them off flippantly. Hermione giggled behind her hand.

"Alright; meet back at the house?"

"Sounds good to me. Then we can get around to talking to Talnus about a room." The two groups parted with a wave. Harry and Hermione walked along the road, trying to find an electronics shop. Surprisingly, there were quite a few, some more stocked than others. Finally, they decided on a shop not far from the wand shop. Its walls were all an unassuming gray brick, although the door shone with metallic plating. The whole thing was like a modern Muggle building. It was a blob of gray functionality – Harry was bored just _looking_ at it. But, through the windows, he could see that the shelves were packed with state of the art things.

"This looks as good as any…" Hermione muttered, looking less than pleased with going into the store as he was, but it needed to be done. Harry nodded and the two walked slowly into the shop. Immediately they were engulfed in the sound of whirring machines. Harry had seen computers and VHS players before – Dudley had gotten one for his birthday once and Harry would sneak little peaks whenever the Dursley's played movies on it from the stairs – but not nearly so many. They were on every shelf in sight, as well as large TVs and other things like microwaves – they already had one back at the house so they wouldn't need to get one. All of them were chrome or black and very sleek for their appliance type.

"May I help you?" a nasally voice sighed behind them. The two young adults turned to the owner. It was a man who looked bored to be here. His red glasses hung off his nose and his gray eyes looked so glassy Harry was surprised that he was even standing at the moment. His clothes were all gray, except for the red bow tie attached to his neck. Black hair hung shaggily around his chin. He chewed happily away at something, probably gum – _yep_, Harry confirmed as he blew a huge bubble, _definitely gum_. He swiped his bangs away with his left hand, covered in a red glove with the finger nails painted black. Harry raised a brow at his appearance. It was a shame really; he would have been attractive if he didn't look so damn bored with just being in their presence.

"Um…yes. We would like to buy a VHS, a cable box, and a TV."

"Checkout is on the right," he sighed. "Come over there when your shopping is done." He walked away without further ado. The two just watched him leave with incredulous expressions.

"Well then." Hermione huffed once the shock had worn off. "He was just a ray of sunshine, huh?" Harry chuckled.

"Yeah. Let's get this stuff so we can go home." Hermione nodded and they dove in.

Across the village, just a block away from the bank, Sirius was entering the potions shop. The whole place was dark, and reminded him too well of the dungeon in Hogwarts, where a certain bat/crow-like man chose to spend his days. _But_, he reasoned, _I guess this kind of environment could make anyone a bona fide bastard._

Smirking, he pushed his way through the cobweb-riddled shop. He swatted them away from his face, since they seemed to want to cling to his hair, and did not see the huge cauldron, currently unused, that blended in with the shadows near the wall. His shin hit the metal side with a loud _clang_ and he cursed afterwards, bending down to hold his shin. His balance failed him and started a misfortunate chain reaction; first, it sent him falling back among a stack of old books placed conveniently behind his ankles. They went flying toward the floor and kicked up dust, which clogged his lungs and made him hack for all he was worth. His eyes watered as he tried to rid the air of the annoying layer of dust. A deep chuckle startled him and sprung to his feet as best he could, his hand slipping to his hidden wand.

"Well, well, well – not what I expected in a visitor." A man slipped out from the back, where he had blended in with the shadows. He smirked at Sirius, his hazel eyes shining with mirth. Black clothes fell off of him in an engulfing curtain of fabric. The only visible thing beneath his cloak – which Sirius had only ever seen Snape wear – was the white collar peaking from beneath it and his shiny shoes. He seemed as much of a bat as the potions professor, however his facial features were not nearly so sharp and were more prone to fluidity. His expression shifted from confusion to annoyance and finally settled on amusement as he gazed at the dust covered wizard. He was also handsomer, and he seemed less intense than Severus. His pale skin made his lips and eyes all the more brighter, and his nose wasn't nearly so large. He swept black hair out his face with an aristocratic flick of his wrist, and then surprisingly bowed to the Marauder. "Aurelius Moor; pleased to meet your acquaintance." He straightened and offered a hand. Sirius took it, too shocked by the completely strange behavior of someone who worked in a place like…_this_.

"Sirius Black. Likewise?" He answered awkwardly. He couldn't help but think that Snivellus could use some pointers from this guy, but he kept that to himself.

"What can I do for you?" that jerked Sirius back into reality.

"I have a friend who's in need of a wolfsbane potion."

"Ah, good. Do you have the requirements?"

"I have a list of things that he gave to his old supplier…" Sirius searched his pockets and finally found the little slip of paper that Remus had prepared. He handed it over to the master, who looked over it.

"Perfect. I shall have it ready in the next few hours; two to three if I don't stop. And considering the time limit, well, I don't think I will." He smiled wryly.

"Really? Well, that's very kind of you…thank you so much." He was slightly thrown off by the concern of the stranger – he wasn't used to people readily accepting Remus's condition, and therefore he was always prepared to defend him.

"You're from England, correct?"

"Yes…"

"Ah. Well, you'll find that people here are a lot more accepting." He paused. "Well, we're not perfect, but we do embrace our darker side more readily than those over seas – and not surprisingly too. We don't have a Dark Lord lumbering over our shoulder like a god-awful storm all the time." He waved his hands animatedly when he talked, and he looked disgusted at the mention of the Dark Lord. Sirius was just surprised that Voldemort had made a name over here too. But, apparently that was the only name he knew that was involved, because if he knew others, then the name Sirius Black should have rung a bell, but it didn't.

Aurelius looked over the list and his brows rose in surprise.

"Whoever wrote this is a _genius_. I would have never even _thought_ to do that…" He muttered to himself.

"Well, the old maker _was_ somewhat of a prodigy when it came to potions."

"Amazing. Well, come back at about ten or eleven, and I will have it ready for you."

"Thank you." Sirius bowed slightly, remembering that he had been too shocked to return the favor moments before.

"You're welcome. Have a good day!" He called over his shoulder as he walked to the back, muttering in admiration at the paper. _Well_, Sirius thought, _that was over and done with. Might as well go find something to do for the next few hour_s…he wandered out of the store and back into the village, looking for something to pass the time.

_Two hours later…_

Harry sighed as he hefted the bag of shrunken goods over his shoulder. Of course, he was the one carrying everything – Hermione had suckered him into doing it. He rolled his eyes as Hermione happily walked around the village.

"Hey, Mione, you want to head back to the bakery?"

"Might as well. Sirius should be done soon, so we can go and wait for him till he comes back."

"Let's go then." The two walked to their meeting point, chatting leisurely as they went.

Sirius poked his head in to the shop, looking around. He could hear bubbling noises, muffled by distance. He slipped inside, careful enough to watch the floor for any of the potion master's things that he loved to have in unusual places. He weaved around them, heading toward the back.

"Oi, Aurelius! You in here?"

"In the very back, past the desk!" He walked toward where he had been directed, and soon found himself staring at the eccentric potions master just as he was pouring the potion into a vial.

"Hello, Mr. Black. Here is the potion. There should be enough in here for three days." He passed the vial to him, and Sirius pulled out his bag.

"How much?"

"Just $23.57." Sirius quickly handing him the asked for coins. He thanked the potions maker and bid him farewell before heading out toward the bakery.

When he arrived, Harry and Hermione were already there, a bag at their feet. Upon seeing him, they rose and went to meet him. The trio walked out of the bakery, passing a goodbye to the cashier, and apparated home.

When they returned, they immediately began to install the new appliances, Harry and Hermione having an interesting time trying to teach Sirius about how they work. Eventually Padfoot just decided to go and take Remus his potion.

He ascended the stairs to the wolf's room, gently opening the door. Remus was asleep on the bed, only a curled bundle from where he was standing. He walked silently around to the side to see him. Remus's face was crunched in pain. The Black heir's face softened in worry at the expression; god, he hated what the wolf did to him – if he could ever get his hands of Grayback, he would beat him half to death.

Sighing, he gently shook the wolf awake, and after a while, blue eyes, now amber, fluttered open.

"Sirius?" Remus whispered wearily. Sirius smiled apologetically and said,

"I've got you're potion, Moony." He gently placed the vial on the bed side table and moved to help the man sit up. The wolf groaned as pain shot through him, but he accepted the help. Slowly Sirius raised the vial to him and pulled out the cork. Steam wafted up from the unusual looking potion. Remus's nose crinkled but he dutifully drank it when it was brought to his mouth. He had enough self awareness to stop Sirius before he drank more than he should for the day.

Sirius placed it back on his table and sat next to his best friend.

"So," Remus started once he had gotten over the disgusting potion, "what are we going to do about a place to stay?"

"Well, Hedwig hasn't returned yet, but we have three days to owl Talnus about it."

"We do need to make sure that the wolf won't become agitated in a new place; you know how he can be."

"You're right…we'll try and talk to the headmaster as soon as possible." Remus nodded, still looking worried. Sirius stood and grabbed his face, forcing him to look him in the eye. He felt Remus's skin warm in his hands, and he was pretty sure that being so touchy so close to the full moon probably wasn't a good idea, but he wanted to destroy the worry that the man always had – he always worried so much that even if he wasn't a werewolf it would run him ragged.

"Remus, don't worry; you'll be fine." He smiled reassuringly. "I promise."

"A-all right; if you're certain." Remus's eyes flickered from the ground and back, the blush still present.

"Of course I am. Now, get some sleep. Harry and Hermione have gotten the things to put in the livingroom, and they are going to give you a crash course in it as soon as you're ready." Remus chuckled.

"All right I will." He yawned deeply all of a sudden and Sirius pulled back. With Sirius's help, although the brunette protested, he was back under the covers in a few moments, his eyes drifting closed. Sirius waited to make sure his breathing deepened before slipping out.

He made his way back into the livingroom silently to find the two youngest waiting for him.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" He sighed. They share a look and then turned back to smile mischievously at him.

"We're going to teach you how to use these '_Muggle things,_'" Hermione said with a smirk, Harry wearing the same expression behind her. Sirius groaned in dread as they grabbed both of his arms and drug him toward the TV.

A slim figure moved through a rather large menagerie with an inhuman grace, blonde hair swishing along his back as he walked. Nimble fingers pushed his glasses up higher before pulling the satchel at his side open and grabbing a small rodent. He walked to a huge hippogriff inside a stall and held out the food, keeping his gaze level with the large eyes staring back at him with immense intensity. He did not need to bow – the creature had been under his care since it was an infant and its whole herd before it as well.

It quickly gobbled the proffered meal, and it gave the caretaker room to gently pet its beak and the ridge of its nose. When it was done, it leaned forward and nudged his cheek, pushing some of the blonde strands away from pale, pointed ears. A tinkling laugh bubbled from him, and the hippogriff galloped lightly in delight. However, it died suddenly, his green eyes going distant.

"He's going to be here soon, you know – my mate, that is." The man murmured softly, his lips twisting into a wistful smile. He turned back to the creature when it huffed in concern at him. "I have to wait until the term begins, but I think I can wait that long, eh? I have been around for over two centuries without him, I suppose a little longer won't be too much." The hippogriff nudged him again. He laughed again. "You want to meet him, don't you, Nimblewing? Well, don't you worry; I'll bring him here as soon as I can." He pulled away from the hippogriff, much to its chagrin, and patted it gently. "I'll see you at dinner." He smiled tightly as he walked away.

Just thinking about his mate made him restless. He wanted to bring the man here and ease the burning longing in his chest that came with separation. They would not be to the point of physical pain until they were mated, but he didn't think he could last. It didn't help that he was going to be a student – of age or not, it was against school rules to be in a relationship with a student.

Hopefully, accidental brushes would have to be enough until he could find a way around it – but even if he could there were still other problems – like the fact that his mate was a human. He would die before he would ever start to feel any effects of old age, and he could do nothing about him. He scowled uncharacteristically. Fate had dealt him a truly cruel hand.

He certainly hoped it was happy.

Ok, so, here is how I see the time line up till now:

Sept. 9: Chapters 1 and 2

Sept. 10: chapters 3-6

Sept. 11: Chapter 7

Sept: 12-13 Chapters 8-12

Sept. 14: Chapters 13-14, maybe 15

If anyone sees any problems, please feel free to tell me!

Read & Review please!


	14. Chapter 14

Here you go, chapter 14! This one came out a little faster than the other one, but it needed to be done. Don't worry, though; Harry will be in school soon!

Thank you guys for all the faves, reviews, and subscripstions! You are all so awesome! XD

Beta: harryfan160889

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Hopefully, accidental brushes would have to be enough until he could find a way around it – but even if he could there were still other problems – like the fact that his mate was a human. He would die before he would ever start to feel any effects of old age, and he could do nothing about him. He scowled uncharacteristically. Fate had dealt him a truly cruel hand._

_He certainly hoped it was happy._

Chapter 14: Problema Transmarinum

A small tingling in the back of his skull woke him; he released a groan and tried to roll over. However, something warm yet firm kept him back. Brown eyes fluttered open to see what obstacle was in his way. They landed on a sleeping face, so identical to his that it felt like an out of body experience. But there was no denying the way the other form molded against his, nor the heat from the body nestled into his side. He smiled lightly and brushed a hand tenderly across the freckled-splattered cheek, loath to wake his sole reason for living.

Not many would agree with their lifestyle, not many wanted to even think of such a 'disgusting circumstance' between two brothers – twins – but they didn't matter. What mattered was this, the small moments where the world around them meant nothing, and it was only them and the forms they had entered the world with.

His twin stirred slightly at the warm touch on his face, and pale lids peeled back to reveal identical brown irises. The newly awakened man groaned softly in annoyance.

"Fred, why the bloody hell are you up at," he paused, muttering a Tempus under his breath, "six o'clock in the bloody morning?" George grumbled angrily. Fred chuckled.

"Language, dear brother. And the wards woke me." That was right, that tingle; he had forgotten about it. George scowled and yanked the bed covers away from him.

"Well then go find out what's wrong." He turned to his side and waved him away while snuggling back into the warmth that they provided. "And I can talk however the bloody hell I want."

"So touchy this morning! And trying to get rid of me already…" Fred offered a long-suffering sigh, sniffling a little. "And here I thought you loved me. Well, I supposed I'll go brave this horrid danger alone-"

"All right you insufferable sod!" George growled and sat up, flinging the covers away from him. "I'll go with you." Fred smiled widely, watching his twin search for clothes from the floor.

"See, you do love me!" a shirt landed smack on his face in answer, followed by a pair of boxers.

"Get dressed." Fred pulled the clothes off of his face, his grin so wide it stretched from cheek to cheek. To his surprise, his brother was standing in front of him, his hands on his hips. For a moment, staring up at his twin, he couldn't help but think _he's such a woman_, but all thought left him when a pair of lips pushed insistently on his. He didn't really let his brain register what was happening before his body reacted, sweeping his arms around to George's lower back and pulling them together. George's legs ended on both sides of his hips, arms wrapped lazily around his neck as they slowly kissed; it was a languid, gentle and smooth kiss, brought on by love and years of practice.

At first, this relationship of theirs had been innocent. They had known of each other ever since they were small; in fact, on the day they were born, they had been aware of each other. When one of their cries went unnoticed, the other started crying and would stop only when their twin's wishes were satisfied. Their strange twin telepathy only grew to the point where they literally shared everything – food, clothes, thoughts, conversations, pain, emotions – they were just so connected that they knew were like one entity, which was why nearly everyone called them the Twins, not Fred or George (and they were just fine with that).

So, it was no shock to them – and honestly they were surprised that everyone else _was_ – that their list of shared things evolved as they got older and hormones came into play. Instead of looking for girlfriends, because apparently they were actually quite popular with the ladies, they kept each other company, playing pranks, making friends, getting closer. Eventually, it just…_happened_. Instead of being afraid or awkward, the first time they both came together – that first kiss in a closet while hiding from McGonagall after one of their many pranks had gone off without a hitch – had only sparked their curiosity into trying for more. In fact, they had both later admitted to feeling a strange sense of completion when it had happened; like they had been subconsciously waiting for it.

And now here they were, locked into an easy embrace, hands slowly worming their way under clothes and over naked skin, trying for a little more heat between them. However, a small tingle, this time more impatient, broke through their romantic encounter. Fred pulled away with a groan, and once again a scowl appeared on George's usually carefree face.

"Now what was that for?"

"I'll always love ya, ya idiot." Fred smiled.

"I know; I just love to rile you up in the morning." George rolled his eyes, his playful side showing in the small smile that played on his mouth. "Well, come on; let's go see who's stupid enough to try and break through the wards." Fred stood, allowing George to slip slightly in his arms until he was standing. He pressed a kiss on his forehead and let go, turning to slip on some clothes.

"A'right. I'll go check it out while you get dressed." George slipped from their room. Fred smiled slightly as he heard the soft footsteps of the redhead as he walked down the stairs. Immediately, he heard squeaky voice and one slightly deeper, both broken and rushed, from all the way up here. Apparently, Dobby and Kreacher had gotten excited about something. The two elves had been gone while Harry had been here, despite knowing how Dobby felt about the young man, for the simple fact that they didn't trust Kreacher. They didn't want to risk Dobby spilling something about Harry and their plans before they could leave, so they sent the both of them to another house – the Lupin family home, if he wasn't mistaken, since it was empty. They had been brought here after their meeting with Dumbledore, since they realized that now more than ever that the image of normalcy was vital to Harry's plan.

Sighing, he finished and walked to where his brother had gone, leisurely descending the stairs. However, he missed the next step, so shocked by what he was feeling that he had faltered. His twin was feeling immense sadness, tinged with a little betrayal. What could have made him so depressed? Fred ran the rest of the way to the living room. When he arrived, George was staring out of the window with a strange look on his fac. Dobby was wringing his ears nervously beside him, and Kreacher was off somewhere.

"George?" he walked up to his twin. "What is it?"

"It's Ron." He said softly, turning to Fred. Immediately he understood. Ron was the disturbance on the grounds; The Order had sent their own brother to spy on them. That was just _low_, even for them.

"Oh. Well, then; what is he doing?" He moved to a spot behind his brother. He could see a small swath of red hair peeking out from behind one of the bushes in the front lawn. Really, Ronnie hadn't even tried to hide himself, or at least his hair. A Weasley mane could be spotted from a mile away – they were probably the only family that sported such bright hair and freckles throughout their whole bloodline. But, the poor fool, he had no idea what wards were placed on Grimuald. Had Dumbledore really sent him out unaware? The old coot was off his rocker. Now that he thought about it, he probably had been for a long time, considering the shit that he had allowed Harry to go through with his Muggle relatives and in Azkaban.

"Waiting it seems, probably thinking that some of the wards are going to search him out – at least Dumbledore told him that much about wards on pureblood houses." George sighed. He looked quite a bit like he needed a hug just now, so Fred, of course, obliged. Together they watched with sad eyes as their own little brother waited outside. And if nothing changed, he would stay out there.

Ron shifted closer to the bush in front of him, cursing the landscape of Grimuald's front yard. All Dumbledore had said was to try and find some evidence that the twins either knew where Harry was or had contact with him. So he was stuck groveling in the mud like some pig, all because of that Potter prat.

He would pay for this, dammit, he would. No matter what his sister felt about him, Ron would have his revenge, especially since the bastard had taken Hermione away from him. He had better be glad that he was needed to take out the Dark Lord, or Ron would have found some way to keep him in Azkaban. He had gotten so much fame from being the 'slighted best friend' of the traitorous Boy-Who-Lived; women had practically been all over him and the monetary benefits had been better than he had expected. Hermione had still hated him, but he had had other lovers to get over the brainiac. Now that Harry was proven innocent, women sneered at him and denied ever having been involved with him.

His life sucked.

However, working with Dumbledore to bring Harry back might bring him back into good favor, especially since the old man had made it seem like it was for the good of the people. He was just a good citizen trying to benefit the whole wizarding community to everyone else. Whether or not their actions were for the direct benefit of their savior could not be decided. And he didn't really care. He would put up the façade of being an earnest friend to get in his good graces; as his mother had discovered, Harry would probably be gullible enough to fall for it. Hermione maybe not so quickly, but he was confident in his ability to win the stubborn girl over.

A sudden screech came from nowhere, and Ron's eyes snapped up to see a familiar white speck in the sky. It couldn't be, could it? Harry had actually…He smiled wickedly as the white speck flapped her wings and landed on the windowsill. Reluctantly, one of the twins, he couldn't tell which and had been slightly surprised they had been there the whole time, let her in and then closed the window. He quickly apparated to Hogwarts.

He had all the proof he needed.

George cursed when he saw that Ron had disappeared. Now, he would go blabbing to the old coot about the arrival of Hedwig. As much as they wanted to talk to the others, they wished she had arrived at a different time. But, it's not like they knew that the Order or Dumbledore had moved so quickly. Apparently the meeting the other day hadn't pacified the headmaster like they had thought. Oh well, they would make something up soon. First, though, they needed to warn the runaways.

Fred opened the letter attached to Hedwig's leg and pulled his twin to his side so they could read what was on it.

Far away from Grimuald, a trio stood in front of the seemingly innocuous building that, to anyone without connections to the magical world, looked run down. A sign, rotten with old age and neglect, read 'Purge and Dowse, Ltd.' in bold letters, although now they were almost rubbed off. Another one, this one newer, said 'Closed for Refurbishment' beneath the first, but it too was starting to get dusty. It was made of red brick, which had most likely quite attractive when it was first built, but were now chipped and scarred by weather and deterioration. All the windows were boarded except for one, which was long enough for one to simply throw a leg over the open hole in the wall to enter the building. However, a dummy stood in the way, dressed elaborately in the styles that could have been expected in a department store of this kind. Well, at least ones that were sold twenty years ago. No Muggle would get it, but the mannequin played an important roll. One simply had to walk up and talk to it and they would be let inside the building.

A strict-looking woman stepped up to the mannequin, her posture sere and annoyed. The two younger pulled back, the only blonde sparing a glance at her sullen companion.

"Neville, are you alright?" the only man jerked slightly and then flushed. The woman simply waited with an anticipatory expression. He flushed lightly at her unintentionally intense gaze – really, did she _know_ that her eyes were so _piercing_? – and scrunched his nose as he tried to register her question.

"Huh? O-oh, yeah, Luna; I'm fine."

"No you're not." Luna said matter-of-factly, her tone more accusing than blunt. He blinked up at her. Realizing that he had been caught, he sighed.

"Yeah, I'm not."

"Why?"

"Well, I'm worried about seeing my parents."

"Oh." The conversation dimmed, and that was just fine with Neville, because he really didn't want to talk about this anymore. Just thinking about his parents made knots form in his stomach – seeing their glazed eyes as they looked into the face of their only son – it was unbearable. "It'll be all right." Luna's comment snapped him back to reality. He looked at her in surprise and she smiled a dreamy smile, reaching up and brushing her hand against his shoulder for a moment.

Of course, he flushed lightly at the contact, the pounding of his heart at the attention of the beautiful woman overshadowing the unease in his stomach. However, she turned back to his grandmother just as she returned, her lips still pursed in her usual frown. He forced his blush back down, since he knew that his Gran would see it and it would be called to question. She was ruthless when it came to him, especially since she didn't seem to like the fact that he was so infatuated with the unusual girl. And the fact that, at the current moment, the gum wrapper that his mother had given to him – though Luna didn't realize the gravity of the gift – was dangling from one of her pale ears, held magically together to a metal loop, with a matching one on the other side, didn't help.

Luna had walked in the day he had given it to her and his Gran had seen it – Neville had wished he could have crawled into a hole right then and there; if looks could kill, he would have been dead, resurrected and then killed again from the look Augusta had given him. He honestly hadn't expected Luna to do that when he had shyly handed it her in the library one day, but he should have expected it, knowing Luna.

However, he noticed that she had yet to change her earrings; maybe she did know how much he cherished that wrapper and how serious it was for him to have given it to her – or maybe she just liked the colors. He could never really tell with Luna, but he liked her that way.

"Let's go. We only have a few hours to see them, so we need to hurry. Do try to keep up, Neville." Augusta stated flatly and then turned to walk through the window. Neville sighed and muttered a 'Yes, Gran,' and then followed her inside with Luna behind him. If he wasn't mistaken, the blonde had started to hum softly, a gentle tune – almost sounding like a lullaby – and weirdly enough he felt some of the tension leave him. Even as they walked through the window and the scenery changed, as the desk that had once been broken and run down suddenly turned into a new one with a less-than welcoming Welcome Witch, as the formerly empty walls suddenly were full of rickety chairs and magical people suffering from a large spectrum of problems, all chattering away worriedly and trying to drown their sorrows copies of Witch Weekly, as Healers bustled around the room and they had to dodge them, his body relaxed.

However, the song was short lived, ending as suddenly as it had begun. Her footsteps also sped up, and suddenly he jumped as a warm hand fell on his shoulder. He turned slightly to see the silver-eyed girl looking put out, for some reason. He was about to ask what was wrong when she cut him off.

"Why would they want to read that magazine? For one thing, they're reading all wrong, and for another, it doesn't even have anything to do with Nargles or Snorkacks or anything interesting!" she hissed. He chuckled slightly.

"Well, they apparently haven't been enlightened. You should bring some copies of the _Quibbler_ with you next time." He was completely teasing of course, but she didn't get it. Her eyes brightened and she smiled again.

"That's a great idea, Nev." She pulled back away and started to hum again, staring off into space. He sighed and shook his head, noticing with amusement that people, some who had purple skins and huge boils sticking out their cheeks, arms growing from their chests, and were coughing up slugs, were staring at Luna as if she had three heads. And one of the patients actually did have two heads sprouting out his neck! Oh, the _irony_…

They arrived at the stairs and climbed their way all the way up to the Fourth Floor – the Janis Thickey Ward, Ward 49, whatever they wanted to call it. They walked to his parents' rooms, and his Gran didn't even allow them – well, him – time to gather his confidence before opening the door and ushering them inside. The room was just as he remembered; just as blank as it had been the first time he remembered being taken here by his Gran.

His parents were sitting in separate chairs, on separate sides of the room, staring off into space. He could hear his mother muttering something softly. However, when the two finally figured out that they had visitors, inquisitive eyes fell on them.

"It's the boy again…" His mum whispered to his father. Her tone was light, thankfully not angry or annoyed – he didn't think he could take it if she was. His father nodded and eyed him curiously. Neville tried to respond that he was their son, their flesh and blood and didn't they remember him? – but his father cut him off.

"He's brought a girl." Frank Longbottom stood slowly, eying Luna the whole time, and cautiously walked to her, his head cocked curiously, like a puppy. "Who're you?" he asked when he was before Luna. For a brief moment, Neville was afraid that he was going to turn violent – he had the first time when Neville had come by, thinking that he was a threat – but he simply leant down and peered into Luna's unusual eyes.

"Luna," The blonde answered simply, as if that explained her entirely.

"Yes, good, good." Frank Longbottom nodded and walked back to his seat.

"It's nice to see you, Frank." Augusta murmured sadly; this was the only time Neville had ever saw his grandmother be gentle and sweet, like a mother. But, of course, Neville reminded himself bitterly as his father and mother happily conversed with his grandmother like old friends but ignored him, it was her beloved son, who could do no wrong. Yes, he had a little bitterness in his heart from how his Gran treated him; not even after he had done so much for the Order and showed his unwavering loyalty to Harry had she lightened up on him. And for Merlin's sake, you would think the fact that he had brought a pretty girl home at all, no matter that it wasn't because they were together or anything, and that the girl trusted him enough to be alone with him for hours at a time almost every day would appease her, but no. It seemed like nothing ever would.

And people still wondered why he was so damn shy.

Sure, he had become more outgoing with Luna's influence and after he had found his niche in Herbology, but still he felt inadequate and therefore acted that way. at least with both of his favorite subjects (the blonde beside him and his beloved plants) he felt like he belonged with them; he had a repast from all the emotional bullying that seemed to be heaped on him from all sides.

Would his life never find a time of peace?

"Well, well, well, what a surprise!" he turned in surprise at the familiar and thoroughly unexpected voice. A slim redhead smiled coyly behind him, waving her hand and batting her eyelashes.

Ginny Weasley.

"Ginny…what are you doing here? Especially in this ward?"

"Oh…well, I was just visiting the wards to try and make some case studies for this advanced Healer class I'm taking during the day." She flipped her hair back and smiled slightly, clearly trying to get them to believe her. Still, it was suspicious.

"You want to be a Healer?" Neville blinked rapidly, his brain trying to comprehend this unusual tidbit of information. It just seemed so unlike Ginny.

"Of course! Why is that so surprising?"

"Because an Auror job would suit your desire for attention." Luna answered lightly, her face as serene as usual but her eyes were suspicious and clearly a lot sharper than normal.

"Neville, who is she?" the black haired man turned to his grandmother to see her scowling slightly.

"J-just a friend, Gran."

"Well, if you're going to talk to a friend instead of seeing you're poor parents," Neville could just see the disappointment all over her face, "then take your business outside." Neville gritted his teeth.

"Yes, Gran." He ground out and turned back to Ginny. He grabbed her arm and led her outside, ignoring the indignant squawk from the redhead at being pulled anywhere. Luna followed quietly behind, watching the scene with trepidation and sad eyes.

Eventually, Neville was going to explode. No one could take that much disappointment and abuse and still be calm and sweet through it all. She was happy when it was just the two of them; there, Neville actually relaxed for once, without his Gran over his shoulder sneering at everything he did and everyone else making fun of him for being so clumsy. It was endearing to her, because he was just as different and just as ostracized as she was, but no one else saw it that way. She would love to find a way to show the world what a strong man the herbologist had become right under their noses, but if no one took her seriously, they would simply scoff at the idea. She wished Harry was here; people would believe him…

But he needed to get away, she knew that. And besides, someone was waiting for him; she wasn't excellent at Divination just because everyone thought she was as crazy as Trelawney. She had a touch of the Sight that much she knew; visions came to her as little thumbnails pictures of the future, tinted a certain color based on what was going to happen – and they were always just that: pictures. They never moved past the event to tell her anything else, but the one with Harry was enough to convince her that he needed to go. She saw a blonde with him and the scene was tinted a light pink, splotched a dark red. Pink meant love, red meant death, but not permanent – black meant death that sent you to the afterlife. She had only seen that color of red once before, so she couldn't be sure what it meant, because she never got to see the results, but she knew it was a big part of Harry's future.

Anyway, back to the problem at hand: Ginny.

She was pushing it, pushing _Neville_ too far. She didn't know what the redhead was doing, trying to worm her way into Neville's life despite how obvious it was that she still wanted Harry.

"What do you want, Ginny? This isn't the time." Neville's annoyed sigh cut her thoughts off. Ginny smiled sickly sweet at him.

"Just to talk to you, Neville." She said his name in a way that was supposed to be seductive, but it just sounded whiny to Luna. She walked forward and placed her hand on Neville's chest, looking up into his eyes with a look that had worked on many other, lesser men.

"Why?"

"Well, I was hoping you would want to spend some time together." She fluttered her eyelashes.

"I am not going to be a rebound for Harry, Ginny." The redhead faltered for a second, a look of surprise on her face, before it melted into a hurt puppy look.

"Neville, I'm hurt you would think that."

"Well, it's true, isn't?"

"Of course not! I just wanted one date-"

"No, Ginny."

"Oh, come on, Nev!"

"No-"

"I think you should, Neville." Both turned to Luna in surprise.

"Wh-what?" Neville eyed her in confusion, and a little hurt. Luna internally winced at the look, but she did have a good reason for this.

Ginny's eyes narrowed in suspicion. There was no way the blonde was just going to give up so easily…something was wrong.

"Yes, Neville you should go. You haven't been on a single date since the Harry thing and you need to relax some." The blonde smiled dreamily. "Besides, Augusta might like her." Neville opened his mouth, about to say that he didn't care if Augusta liked her, he certainly didn't, but Ginny cut him off.

"Luna's right," a pale hand turned him back toward her, "You shouldn't be so reclusive all the time, Neville! And one little date won't hurt, right?"

"I-I-uh…" What was he supposed to say? The woman he did want was setting him up with the one woman he would perfectly happy to never see again. What the bloody hell was going on?

"It's set! I'll owl you later, okay?" Ginny giggled happily and trounced away, not before giving him a little peck on the cheek. Neville stood there stunned, his brain reeling. He turned the blonde woman questioningly. She placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling deviously.

"Don't worry, Nev; I have my reasons." Neville nodded, giving into the urge to wipe his cheek of lip residue. It was quite gratifying, actually. She had better have a damned good reason, too, or they would have a pissed off redhead on their hands. He loved her spontaneity, but boy did it get him into trouble.

And why did he feel like he had just been thrown to the wolves?

"Narcissa and Bellatrix haven't returned yet," he muttered worriedly. Those two were never a good combination when together, at least not for anyone else. Strong, pale arms snaked around his waist, and he felt more than heard his lover's sigh. He knew Lucius still worried about his wife, despite feeling no love for her. It was more duty than anything else, really; they had been married for so long it seemed like the worry was on autopilot. It didn't really bug him; he knew the Malfoy needed to be a noble when the time called for it, as they were all about images. At least he could count on the fact that he was a lover when he needed him to be.

"Stop worrying so much, my bat. We need you at full strength, especially now." Severus turned in the embrace, looking up at him with haunted eyes. Lucius grabbed both sides of his face lovingly.

"You haven't gotten any sleep, have you?"

"No." the images of Peter's writhing form kept rising to surface every time his eyes closed and he couldn't escape it. The blonde sighed softly and pulled him to his chest. Immediately, placations started tumbling out of his mouth.

"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon," he whispered, his tone like he was trying to convince himself as well. Weak fingers clutched at his robes.

"How do you know?"

"Because no matter what that madman is doing, we are moving as well." The door opened suddenly, but neither of them pulled apart. The only ones who were allowed in here so easily were Draco and Blaise, who had been the first to know of their relationship when they had finally decided to tell other people.

Indeed, it was the two. Draco's face was as placid as ever, but his father knew him too well; he knew when his son was worried. Blaise had the same expression, cool and calm with a storm hidden beneath. He was like a second son to Lucius, and his mother like a sister.

"What is it?"

"Dumbledore has sent people out – the youngest two weasels – to find out where Potter is, and they are trying to get in with his friends. Also, there has been no evidence of Potter and the others for days. I fear that he has indeed fled the country or is at least in hiding," Draco answered lowly. Blaise glanced at him and then nodded his silent agreement. Lucius cursed inwardly at the news. They had been hoping that they could get in with Potter themselves and use his help to bring their plans to fruition – they were going to free this world of Voldemort, and if they had Harry backing them up, then they could get a pardon from the Ministry for crimes committed under the Dark Lord, who had forced servitude on them – well he had at least threatened their parents into making them, in his case, and isolated them from anyone else to guarantee their complete trust in him, in Severus's case. To add to that, he could finally divorce Narcissa and become Severus's partner, like he always wanted, and Draco and Blaise could be free to show their relationship in public (and he wouldn't have to entertain that pug-face Parkinson brat, either). However, their options had just dropped down to an unassuming zero.

"Is there any way to contact him?"

"None that we know of. Potter and his friends made sure of it. They told no one but maybe the twins and their other supporters of their departure." Lucius sighed softly. Luck was not with them, it seemed. If Dumbledore was moving so suddenly, then they needed to move as well; Severus had been informed of the meeting between Dumbledore and the other members of the Order, as well Harry's remaining friends, where he had tried to glean information from them. To their surprise, the Longbottom boy had stood up to the old man quite well, as had the twins and the unusual Lovegood girl.

"Mister Malfoy," Blaise cut in.

"Lucius is fine."

"Lucius, then. I have a suggestion, if I may?" The blonde waved for him to continue. "Could we not try and contact his friends? If they knew that we knew of Harry's disappearance and had not told the Dark Lord, would they not trust us, even a little bit?" they blinked at the dark skinned boy's supposition, Severus even straightening up from his vulnerable position in his lover's arms.

"Yes, that…that might just work." The potions master pulled away, his hand on his chin. He turned to his former snakes.

"Didn't you hear word that Hedwig had been returned to the brat?"

"Yes," Draco said, starting to get the gist of what he was saying, "Potter wouldn't want to lose contact with them, and the only means of communication that he has, that I know of, is the owl."

"But why risk it? Doesn't the boy know that Dumbledore will stop at nothing to get him back?" the Malfoy patriarch cut in.

"Yes, but you know how those lions are, Father, so annoyingly loyal, and he's the worst. He would never even think about losing contact with them."

"And if his friends stay here, then they can deflect some attention away from Harry. It's those twins, remember? And the Lovegood girl is a Ravenclaw. Surely she's smart enough to trap a weasel or two?" Blaise answered with a smirk. Lucius blinked. Apparently all they needed was to find the silver lining – maybe even mixed with a little green – to move things along.

them, they heard the screeching voice of the insane witch, Bellatrix, followed by the calmer one of Narcissa as the two sisters returned. Lucius sighed before turning to the two teens.

"Go find your owl and see that it's done; I'll try and see what those two have been up to. We may see a bright future yet." He pressed a kiss to Severus's lips and one to Draco's forehead before he walked down to greet his wife. The two remaining men hugged their former potions master before leaving to do their job. Severus quickly apparated home, so as not to be there when Narcissa came up; it would cause more trouble than he could handle right now.

He could only hope that Lucius was right.

Title means 'Problems Overseas'

Read and Review please!


	15. Chapter 15

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_"Go find your owl and see that it's done; I'll try and see what those two have been up to. We may see a bright future yet." He pressed a kiss to Severus's lips and one to Draco's forehead before he walked down to greet his wife. The two remaining men hugged their former potions master before leaving to do their job. Severus quickly apparated home, so as not to be there when Narcissa came up; it would cause more trouble than he could handle right now._

_He could only hope that Lucius was right._

Beta: harryfan160889

Sorry this took so late!

Chapter 15: Intus Lupus

Hedwig returned the next day with depressing news. They had been in the kitchen, sans Remus, when she returned with a loud hoot, shooting from the top floor after she had realized no one was there like a snowy bat out of hell. After getting her settled and feeding her the promised snacks, Harry read the letter out loud.

_Dear Harry, Hermione, Moony and Padfoot,_

_Things here have gone downhill, mates. To put it simply, they are trying to find you guys already. The other day, we were called to Dumbledore's office. The old man immediately began asking Luna and Nev if they knew where you were. Surprising little Nev stood up pretty good to Dumbles, and Luna helped keep the headmaster off his back. He did threaten to come visit them at the Longbottom manor, however._

_As for us, he mainly asked about our shop and said he was gonna stop by soon with this really weird smile on his face; that damn twinkle was back too. Really gives me the creeps. _

_And that's not even the worst news. _

_Ronnie was outside Grimuald the other day, trying (and failing) to hide behind the bushes in the front. Unfortunately, he saw Hedwig return. They're gonna be back soon, since your bird is a little hard to miss, so we need to find another way to contact you guys without using her. I'm sorry, but it's the only way I can think of. Keep Hedwig with you and contact us with your other method as soon as you find it so you can keep in touch._

_We can't say if they've sent anyone to the Longbottoms and their stray Lovegood since they spoke to Dumbles, but we're sure that the two of them will be contacted soon if they haven't already._

_I swear he's gone bonkers, mate. He's got Mum, Dad __and__ the Order scared out of their wits when he's around. You need to be careful; don't do anything to bring attention to yourself. Hopefully Caliber's will mask your magical signature. _

_We'll do our best to keep them off your track as long as possible, and we'll get Luna and Nev in on it too; I think that together we should be able to hold them off at least until Christmas, maybe longer if our former Ravenclaw comes up with something really good. _

_Take care, _

_The Twins_

For a second, none of them reacted, a thick blanket of silence descending on them. Hermione was the first to regain her wits, but all she did was get up and walk slowly up stairs.

"Send a letter to Talnus about the room; I'll go check on her." Sirius nodded at his worried command, getting paper and a pen; out of everyone, he knew Harry would be the best to handle whatever she was feeling.

Harry allowed a few minutes to pass before following her up the stairs. He finally found her in their room, her knees pressed to her chest, on her bed with Athena worriedly rubbing her side as she cried into her hands.

"Mione?" he questioned gently. She immediately tried to rein the noises in, wiping her eyes quickly. "What's wrong?"

"What do you think?" unlike expected, the question came out more a weary sigh than a sharp retort.

Immediately Harry understood; there was only one person who could make the proud girl break like this: Ron Weasley. He climbed on the bed, choosing the side opposite Athena, and wrapped his arms around her. She leant back into him willingly, sniffling. Harry simply waited, holding his sister like he knew she would need. She would talk when she was ready.

He didn't have to wait long.

"I-I just don't get why he has to do that? Why did he have to be so loyal to Dumbledore? Why did he have to betray his family?" her sorrow showed completely on her face as she looked up at him with wide, vulnerable eyes.

"Dumbledore is a very prolific speaker as well as a sweet and generous old man to Ron. He sees him as something close to a grandfather, like we did before everything happened. And the fact that he's giving the Weasleys, who we both know have been struggling, money enough to afford things they never have been able to before just makes it better." He kissed her forehead before continuing. "It's human nature to want more, and when Dumbledore handed him that on a silver platter, he jumped at it."

"But he hurt you and me in the process. _Me_, Harry! I _loved_ him!" Harry winced as her voice disappeared to her sobs, knowing it was true. Unfortunately, Ron had a way of hurting the people he cared for, whether out of jealousy or that fiery temper – and Hermione seemed to be the repeat victim. "He-he's trying to ruin the only chance you or any of us have at finally finding some peace!"

Harry sighed and let her be, knowing how she felt. Ginny had done him the same way, but he wasn't nearly as broken up about it. It wasn't until the betrayal that he had realized just how _young_ the girl really was. Her complete trust in someone older than her, her role model that was the headmaster, had overpowered her feelings (if there had been any) for him. He had realized then that she was just a young girl trying to be an adult. He had always been more mature than many boys his age, but only because of the things he had seen and done; his body may have been that of a sixteen year old, but his mind and spirit were that of a grown man. He had been merely kidding himself in thinking that she could understand him – _that_ was probably the reason why it was so easy for her to turn her back on him; she would _never_ be able to understand him. She had actually believed that he could have done those things to his Muggle relatives because of what his role as savior had made him do. Dumbledore's assurance hadn't helped matters either.

Finally her lamenting shortened to sniffling and she straightened herself up, wiping her eyes. Harry smiled, glad that she was okay (it broke his heart and made him want to _kill something_ when she cried) and pulled back.

"Thank you, Harr. I needed that."

"You're more than welcome, Hermione." He stood and helped her too her feet.

"I think, someday, I will get over him." She sighed, rubbing her nose. "At least, I hope so." Briefly, the image of black hair, red eyes, and a cocky smile entered her head, but she pushed it aside; clearly now was not the time to be thinking about boys of all things, no matter how cute they were.

"Well, you know you'll never forget how you felt, but I do think you'll move on. Who knows? Maybe this will be a learning experience for you." Hermione crossed her arms and sniffed.

"Yeah; Never date redheads." Harry laughed at her grumbled reply, happy that she could at least make a joke about it. Maybe she just needed to release all that pent up hurt that had to have gotten tiresome in the last two years.

"Well, let's go downstairs; last time Sirius saw you, you were disappearing in distress."

"_Right_." he dodged another slap and headed for the kitchen again with Hermione at his heels. When they returned, Sirius was just tying his letter to Hedwig's leg. The bird looked put out – the poor thing hadn't even been home long enough to rest before she was being sent out again. Harry walked over to her and gently petted her head.

"I'm sorry girl, but we need to get this out to Talnus; I promise when you return that I'll give you double the treats and let you rest until we go to school. How does that sound?" she cooed and butted her head up against his palm in agreement.

"It still amazes me how in tune the two of you are." Sirius sighed, producing a small treat from his pocket and giving it to the snowy owl to eat. She quickly gobbled it before raising herself with her wings and wheeling toward the window. She flew out and was gone in seconds.

"Well, I'm off to give Remus his potion," Sirius answered, "Could you guys try to find some extra pillows and a first aid kit for tomorrow night? I know we can use the bed things that Remus is using now for him, but I need an extra pillow for myself. I also need the first aid kit just in case something happens with Moony."

"Sure, Sirius. Tell Remus we said hi." Hermione answered as Sirius walked toward the werewolf's room. It was sad that their pseudo-father – well, _her_ pseudo-father, since he had basically adopted Harry – couldn't see them for the next three days. The refined potion that Snape had created had come with some nasty side effects; Remus could only be with his pack during the days before the moon when he was taking the wolfsbane. Moony became more violent and since Remus had become much more in tune and harmonious with his wolf side since he had been taking the potion – another side effect – the wolf was closer to his consciousness than normal, and therefore it could more easily take over Remus before the full moon. So, only Sirius could administer the potion and only Sirius could see him.

The two of them set out for the aforementioned items. They quickly found them in separate closets and could sit by and wait until Sirius returned from his trip to Remus's room.

It took about an hour, but he when he returned he looked sort of put down.

"Something wrong, Sirius?" Hermione asked.

"No…Remus just looks really weak. I can't wait for this to be over." He sighed and sat down in an open chair. He looked over to the only woman of their group and asked, "So are you alright, Hermione?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Her smile was a little worn out, but she seemed relatively optimistic, so Sirius didn't push it.

"So I guess we wait for Hedwig?" Harry sighed. As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud hoot came from farther up, and a familiar white creature landed on the table. Harry pulled off the letter from her leg and read it aloud:

_Dear Sirius,_

_I had figured you would ask about that. In the right wall of the living room, there is a door that will appear when you touch your wand to the wall and say __Acclaro__. I hope it will be large enough for Remus. If not, feel free to enlarge it as much as you need. _

_Sincerely, Talnus_

_P.S.: Remember, school starts in a few days and you must arrive precisely at 9:30, when you're first class period starts (I figured you would all eat breakfast at home, so you do not need to be up the same time as your classmates – just don't tell them that; your more nocturnal classmates are a little cranky at having to be woken up so early and they may take things out on the new kids)._

_P.P.S.: Also, if you and Remus could come with Harry and Hermione, that would be great. I need to discuss what my expectations of you as advisors for the students._

"So there's a secret room in the living room?" Harry muttered curiously, looking up at the other two in surprise. They both shrugged. He stood up, the others following behind him as he walked back into the living room. He produced his wand and did as the letter said. The moment _Acclaro_ finished leaving his mouth, a square-shaped design started to form on the wall. Slowly more details started to appear, forming a door jam, a door-knob, and the paneling. The door was of normal size and normal shape, like all of the other doors in the house; in fact, it looked like it belonged there.

"Wow." Sirius said with a relieved smile. That took care of a lot of their problems with the full moon.

"Let's go inside." She came forward and opened the door all the way. The three of them filed in. the room spread out in front of them in a perfect square, and was long enough to comfortably fit a four poster bed – one of which was against the far wall – and wide enough for Moony and Padfoot to move around without feeling cramped.

"It's definitely big enough." Harry smiled lightly.

"Most definitely. Should we bring Remus in?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. You two go back to the kitchen; I'll bring him down and get him situated."

"Alright." the dark haired man quickly ascended the stairs to grab their resident werewolf and the sheets for the room. He reappeared with both, Remus wrapped in the top layer of the bed linens. He was barely awake as Sirius gently laid him on the bed and straightened the sheets around him.

"S-Sirius?" he whispered.

"Don't worry, Remus; we found a good room for you. See?" he helped the brunette get up and look at his surroundings before gently laying him back down. "Talnus created it for us and it should be ok."

"Alright. Please, tell Talnus I said th-thank you…" Remus whispered, before he fell back to sleep.

"Sure." Sirius murmured as he gently ran a hand through his love's hair. He pulled away and left to go grab Remus's pillow and his potion. He would administer it to Remus tomorrow morning and then the two of them would wait here until the night would be over, and Remus would be able to recover.

Now all they could do was wait.

A loud scream filled the house, melting into an inhuman howl. Bones crunched and shifted, protruding from his wan body as his form shifted. Hair spread all over his body, the same color as the hair that rested on his scalp. The slim muscles on his small form thickened and strained against skin that wasn't used to the capacity; a superhuman musculature that his human form could barely handle. Even so, his skin still ripped in small places; on his back and shoulders, on his thighs and on the tips of his fingers, where his hands tried to adjust to the new, sharp claws growing from the nail beds.

He rolled his shoulders back and let out another pained howl; his whole body quivered with the force. Near him, a small dog, looking more like a Grim, slowly rose from his prone position on the ground, and walked toward the newly formed wolf. Golden eyes snapped suspiciously to him, narrowing slightly before he sniffed the air. He relaxed and turned his full body toward the other occupant, stalking forward.

The black dog stayed still to wait for the wolf to come to him; he knew that the wolf only needed to have their pack connection fortified and then all would be okay. But, until then, making any sudden movements could be seen as a threat, and could end with casualties.

The wolf, which the dog recognized as Moony, reached down and placed his mouth fully around the canine's muzzle, as a sign of acceptance into his pack. And so, with that done, the two of them started to play.

Either one would pounce on the other, rolling around like pups still dependent on their mother for food; simply enjoying the time they had been awarded together. However, half way into their play, the wolf stopped and sniffed, turning his head around the room for other familiar scents. When he could not find the ones he was looking for, he whined softly in confusion.

The dog, Padfoot, inwardly winced, knowing that Moony was searching for the rest of its unusual pack, which would never return to this plane of existence. He gently nuzzled his muzzle against the larger one of his canine companion in comfort, trying to relay the information to him. This had happened every night since James and Peter had been taken from them, in one way or another; he could only imagine how horrible it must have been for Moony when he didn't have Padfoot there to explain or at least comfort him when he realized that none of his pack was here for him during his transformation.

But, now he did, and they would make the most of their time together. Moony got over his depression quickly, apparently seeing his presence and comfort as solace in the loss. The moon had since risen to what seemed like the top of the sky, shining out warm and comforting rays to her beloved creatures of the night. All around echoing half human calls could be heard; Moony, as if obligated by some inward source, soon joined them; Padfoot lay where he was and watched. Moony looked almost majestic bathed in moonlight; his shoulders tense, the muscles highlighted; the dried blood in his fur was thrown into shadows, almost looking now like darker patches of fur than the evidence of pain that they really represented.

The howl died into a low mournful moan, and then into nothing at all. Padfoot shook out his fur, like shivering at the sad undertones that the howl had had; he knew the wolf wished to be around others; Moony wasn't qualified to be a loner wolf, and neither was his human, Remus. The two of them had been forced into solitude by a cruel and unfeeling world that didn't understand his situation. But, he seriously hoped that hadn't woken the others…

Far away, in the upper rooms, the only female occupant looked out at the sounds that seemed to surround their home. The sad symphony of the wolves permeated her soul; it hurt so much to hear them that Hermione hadn't been able to stay in her room any longer. She had made sure to be as silent as possible, so as not to wake her roommate.

She had made it to the library not long after the first scream had filtered into her room; she hadn't been very tired at the moment. As for Harry, he seemed to be stuck in a pleasant dream; his eyes were rolling behind his lids rapidly and a smile had been on his lips when she had last left him.

That was for the best; with everything that had been happening, Harry had really stepped up to be the cornerstone of the family, though he had dealt with a lot more than any of them. She was grateful, but she wished that for once he would be selfish; that he would just show them how he felt instead of masking his feelings for their sake. To see him so subconsciously smiling made her happy. At least she knew that he was showing true emotion. She blessed who- or whatever was making him so delighted to the bottom of her heart; they were doing what the three of them seemed so inept at doing.

Another howl came, this time combined with something that seemed a little softer and a lot less melancholy; more dog than wolf – she figured it was Padfoot, singing with his good friend and beloved.

She smiled, laying her head on the desk in front of her, her eyes finally drooping closed to the sounds of play beneath her feet.

And here it is! I hope you guys liked it! And guess what? Harry and Hermione go to school in the next chapter! XD

Title means 'Inner Wolf."

Read and Review please!


	16. Chapter 16

**_Last Time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Another howl came, this time combined with something that seemed a little softer and a lot less melancholy; more dog than wolf – she figured it was Padfoot, singing with his good friend and beloved._

_She smiled, laying her head on the desk in front of her, her eyes finally drooping closed to the sounds of play beneath her feet._

Chapter 16: Schola

The next four days flew by in a blur. Harry didn't know if it was because they were so busy making sure Remus was healed or because they all knew that Caliber's awaited them at the end. Remus's wounds were not as bad as they had expected – Sirius's presence had calmed him enough that the only ones present were created during the transformation. All that was needed were a few rolls of gauze and some disinfectant, as well as time to recuperate. Thanks to Remus's quick healing as a werewolf, he was almost completely healed by the third day. Now the poor thing could walk, but he was still limping, as his muscles were still sore from being overstretched.

With his health confirmed, they were all simply waiting for the day to arrive – for the first day of school. It was like when they arrived at Caliber's, all of the things they had been through would finally accumulate into something stable and _good_; here they didn't have to run; they didn't have to worry about anybody knowing who they were and fawning over Harry – the only person who seemed to know something of his past was Talnus, and he had shown no signs of making it known.

Not to mention the fact that for once they wouldn't be the weirdest ones there. There were other werewolves, other species, others with powers that completely overshadowed what was expected of a human wizard. Sure, Harry probably had the most _amount_ of power of all of the wizards in this era, with the exception of Voldemort, but he couldn't do anything that the other species could do, at least not to the extent that they could.

_Quantity_ had always been the main reason Harry was such a good wizard – he had always had _more_ than anyone else, and therefore it was easier to cut corners with spells – to not necessarily have the most _refined_ magic, but the most power when he sent one off. This was also the difference between him and Voldemort; Voldemort was more obsessed with the perfection of his magic than the strength of it, because, in the end, the precision was what undermined Harry's magic and ensured the longevity of his spell. Precision gave his magic life, and therefore it was easier for his magic to overtake Harry's, with the exception of a direct contact between wands – which, now that he thought about it, would not be possible with his new wand (and he hoped that would not come back to bite him in the end).

It was entirely possible, now that he was going to Caliber's, for him to destroy the gap between the two, and reign in his magic more – ever since he had come back from Azkaban his magic had seemed a little on edge; like the torture from the Dementors had done something to his magical control. He hadn't told the others because of the fact that he hadn't wanted to worry them, and also because they had all been so caught up in getting settled for a while. He thought that maybe it was the fact that the Dementors had been in his head – and he _had_ tried to use magic to get them out – that had frayed it.

He only hoped it could be fixed before anyone realized it or he had to use it in a life or death situation – he knew it would come, the day he was forced to dive back into the war. He wasn't going to kid himself into thinking that he could escape it forever – to do so would be stupid, irresponsible, and potentially life threatening to himself and the others around him. But, while he was here, he would fix that, and potentially learn some new skills in the process.

And so, for the next day after Remus was able to walk around, he and Hermione got everything ready for when they would leave in the morning. They picked out clothes – their revenue was not the best or the most 'in style,' as they only had clothes from their closets in England, and Harry was forced to wear Sirius's clothes until they could go shopping, having outgrown the ones he had had before he had been imprisoned. He hadn't pressed the issue though – he wasn't going to Caliber's to fit in with the other students. Besides, he was older than everyone (with some exceptions – there were immortal students who went to school at a different pace than other species), and therefore he didn't want to deal with the whole friend process either. Making too many friends would only endanger them. He just couldn't risk endangering anyone else.

Finally, though, the day arrived. The air was humid, as was usual in September, and so it took a few moments for him to process the date, as he was still groggy from the heat, but when he did, a smile broke out over his face.

He got up quickly and walked over to wake up Hermione. Athena was at her usual station beside her sleeping mistress. She woke up when Harry was within but a foot of her bed. When she knew it was Harry, though, she fell back asleep. She was a good familiar, as she was so intent on protecting her mistress from harm.

Harry gently shook Hermione's shoulder.

"Harry?" She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes to rid them of sleep.

"Good morning. Guess what today is?" the witch blinked for a moment, and then realization sank in.

"School," she said with a smile. She rose immediately and began to get dressed. He followed suit. Hermione had chosen a simple black t-shirt and jeans, with a dark pink hoodie over-top. Neither of them had any designs on them, though the hoodie had a lighter pink pocket in front.

Harry chose a pair of black slacks and a white button up. The clothes sort of hung off him, but not as much as before. He wasn't nearly as thin as he used to be with all the good food he had been getting, and the muscles he had had – though not very much in the first place – were starting to come back. However, Sirius had always been a little broader than he was, so they still hung off of him.

He had to pull his hair back, as it was still really long. He really needed a haircut, or at least a trim soon – his hair had never been this long before, and it felt weird brushing against his cheeks all the time. At least in a hair bow, his hair was out of the way. But there were the bangs that he still had to deal with. They kept falling into his eyes and making it hard to see – he would have to get Hermione to cut it when she could.

When they were done, they made their way to the kitchen. As usual, Remus was already there, moving around the kitchen pretty well. His limp was fading and his skin color was returning. Sirius was already sitting in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of coffee. He waved when they entered, smiling in amusement when he saw Harry. He motioned to Remus, who was sitting at the table already, to look at Harry. The marauder smiled widely.

"We've definitely got to get you a new set of clothes for you, kiddo," Sirius chuckled. Harry smiled at his words as he and Hermione sat down.

"I agree." Remus popped up with his food, glasses for each of them, and pitchers of orange juice and milk.

"Eat up, you two. It is eight thirty and we have to be at Caliber's by nine." Remus sat down beside Hermione.

"Aren't you guys coming too?" Hermione as she started eating.

"Yup; Talnus wants to talk to us about our new posts."

"Has he told you anything about it?"

"No, not yet – all I know is that we'll be working with some of the students," Remus answered.

"Well, that's good; you'll get to meet some more werewolves, Rem." Remus smiled and nodded; he was actually really excited. The only wolf he had ever met was Fenrir, and that had not been a pleasant experience. If he could meet another werewolf that was civil, a good person like him, he could find a sense of pride in what he was that he had never felt before – he could finally be convinced that his people were not as dark as everyone in and under the British Ministry, and many other European ministries – believed. If the American wizarding society could hold some confidence in them, then one of their own should be able to, right?

The conversation between the four died; its place was taken by the simple sounds of eating. For most, it was both hunger and nervous anticipation that quieted them. The anticipation of meeting new, possibly hostile, people and being thrust into a society they had never before experienced was strong. Would they succeed or fail? Would they be accepted or rejected? And, most importantly, would their true identities be discovered or would they be allowed to live as mysterious foreigners long enough for it to matter? Eventually, they were sure, they would be found out – especially since the Order had already undermined their main method of communication with their 'family' in England.

However, if they could avoid detection by their fellow students, they might be able to use that to their advantage as their deflection from the Order. It was probably unethical to use a whole student body and teaching staff as a shield, and they would take their punishment for it when the time came, but it had to be done. In fact, the premise for leaving England, once being the desire to make a happier life for them all, now that they laid bare their innermost thoughts, had evolved into using the distance, unfamiliarity, and grudging alliance of America to their advantage – they were willing to admit that fact now that they could not just go back on it. It was a mutual thought between them all; and no matter the immoral connotations they would stand by it. To regret meant to falter, and weakness could not coexist with the revolution – the upturn of the cleanly dichotic (1) system the British ministry had created – that they meant to accomplish.

Yes, it would completely overthrow the contemporary views of alliance and many of the foundations of the Light's ideals would be in turmoil, but the world needed that; they needed to be shown the errors of the ways that had been in place for too long without being allowed to grow or evolve.

Harry, with his status – though temporarily blighted by his stint in Azkaban – and power as the Boy-Who-Lived, was the only one that could do it.

On a happier note, the possibilities were more numerous than ever before – it was almost overwhelming the amount of things they could possibly achieve. The new things that they could end up being able to do with their magic seemed infinite, especially with the resources that were available to them; with Harry's power and Hermione's intellect – and even Sirius's and Remus's experience – they could become an unstoppable force.

And Harry could not forget who else awaited him at Caliber's: Nar. He hadn't quite decided if he was willing to allow himself to open up to the elf – especially with all they needed to accomplish (getting too deeply involved with a local could be hazardous – Voldemort had already used the people he cared about to get to him, and he didn't want to risk Nar's life like that) – but it couldn't hurt to be friends with him, right? At least, that was how he saw it. He _was_ going to be his assistant, and their time together would be awkward if he didn't at least try to be friends. Where their relationship went from there, however, was anyone's guess.

They finished breakfast at fifty past, leaving ten minutes to spare to get everything ready. The two new students shrunk all of their things, tucked their wands in a secure place, and got their familiars ready for departure; Harry had to keep Hedwig in a cage despite her annoyance – especially when she saw that Athena was allowed to curl up in Hermione's arms. They gathered in the foyer with their two guardians, Remus holding the port key that would take them to the school. He said the password, _Anduril_ (2), and then the familiar hook-gut feeling hit them. The scenery blurred around them and reformed into the lush courtyard of Caliber's School of Magical Arts.

They were in a stretch of green, the shape of a perfect octagon, surrounded by a sea of black brick; the black edifice they were placed in the center of seemed to only be broken by eight doors placed at perfect intervals all around, clearly leading into the different sections of the castle. Not long after they arrived, another figure appeared, one that was very familiar: Talnus Caliber.

He smiled upon seeing them and walked over to them. He was dressed for the occasion in a black robe that looked new, as well kept as it was. A cream shirt could be seen from beneath the part in the front of the robe, as well as a pair of well-fit black slacks. His boots jingled as he walked with chains that crisscrossed along the front, forming an X, with thick, short heels. His auburn hair was pulled back into a braid that was thrown over his shoulder. A milky pearl earring hung from his right ear that fell all the way to his neck.

To their surprise, Avaric was sitting snug on his shoulder, talons clutching at his master's robes just enough to stay on, but not enough to pierce through. His golden eyes stared at them lazily, but his gaze sharpened when it fell on Hedwig. The owl puffed out her feathers to make herself seem bigger, daring the hawk to try and do anything while she was caged. The hawk made a small noise but relaxed, turning his head away but keeping an eye on her. Apparently he had settled with relishing in the fact that she was caged and he wasn't. It took a little placation from Harry to get the indignant bird to relax, but she did eventually.

"Good morning! Welcome to your first day at Caliber's!" he seemed incredibly excited – apparently this was as fun for him as it was for the students. "I love the first day of school; so many new faces and so many new personalities! Anyway, I have something to give you," Talnus reached into his back pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper, "Usually we give these out at breakfast, but since you two weren't there I came out to give them to you."

"What are they?" Hermione asked as she accepted one of the sheets.

"Information sheets. The front has your classroom numbers and teachers; the back has a map of the school." Hermione flipped over to see the map. On the back were two octagons, one for each floor of the school. Caliber's had a relatively simple layout – there were eight wings, each accessible respectively by one of the doors along the walls of the courtyard, and each with a tower on the vertex between two sides.

Six of them were strictly for school related things. The first four wings, the northwest through east , held classrooms of all types, which were labeled according to room number. Each floor had thirty classrooms; the bottom floors went from room 101 on to 130, and the top floors from 201 to 230.

The fifth one, the south wing, held a lobby that led to a dining hall with a connected kitchen on the bottom floor, the staff of which lived off campus. This lobby was where the front door, visible in the village, led, and where parents and other visitors came to upon first entering the school. On the top floor was the library, which spanned the entire floor.

The sixth one, the southeast wing, held the headmaster's suite and office on the top, and the infirmary and nurse's suite on the bottom. Both of the two administrators were live in, since some of the students were forced to stay over during summers and vacations.

The last two, the west and the southwest wings, were for dorms. They were labeled the A Dorm and the B Dorm. The B Dorm was for upper classmen (the fifth through seventh years); the A Dorm was for all the under classmen (fourth year and under). The top floors of both dorms were reserved for some of the teachers who were living on campus. For privacy, there were no names on either the teachers' or the students' room, just the dorm letter and the room number.

Some of the towers standing proud from the walls held classrooms, some were simply places for studying and gazing; one was a storage unit for the school's supply of brooms (now that Harry thought about it, he hadn't ridden a broom in a while; he probably should try and practice sometime with one, so as to refresh his skills. His broom, his beloved Firebolt he had gotten from Sirius, had been taken when he was imprisoned – it was probably collecting dust somewhere in someone's closet, resold or taken to be scrapped as a former murderer's possession).

The northern wing was the only other wing that had a door besides the one in the courtyard. Beneath the stairs, a door opened up to face the back rim of the school's land. A well beaten path ambled almost directly from the door to the only separated classroom of the school – it was housed in a small, two story building surrounded by the forest; one of its floors was for the classroom, and the other for the living quarters of the teacher. Connected to it was a menagerie, with different types of animals housed inside; this whole area was dedicated only to the Care of Magical Creatures classes.

"Thank you; this will definitely come in handy," Harry murmured with relief. Even from the village he could see that the school was huge, and there was no way he would be able to navigate it without a little help.

"You are very welcome, Mr. Potter," Talnus assured before turning to the two eldest adults, "And you two will be coming with me, so I can brief you on your posts." At that, the two adults turned to their charges. They each pulled one of the younger ones into a hug.

"Good luck, you two, and have fun," Remus murmured as he hugged Harry tightly. They switched off.

"Remember, even though you are your father's son, at least let the kids get to know you first before you start to pull pranks, alright?" Sirius ruffled Harry's hair playfully and Harry pushed his hand away.

"Please; it's _you_ we need to worry about," Harry laughed. Hermione giggled.

"So true," Remus agreed. Sirius mock-glared at them, knowing what they said was probably true. Talnus laughed at their exchange.

"Well, I hate to interrupt, but we need to go so these two can get to their classes. You have five minutes; I recommend you hurry. Your teacher is quite a volatile one," Talnus interjected with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Alright, see you guys later; we can meet here after school so we can go home together," Harry called as they walked toward the east wing. The headmaster and their guardians went toward his office.

Their Sigil Applications class was on the top floor of this wing. They entered, and were immediately immersed in a crowd of other students. Some noticed them and gave them curious looks, as they were new faces, and some didn't even notice, so intent on getting to their classes. Some of the students were human, and some were obviously not – some had the amber eyes of werewolves and some had the seductive features of a vampire; some seemed very graceful and smooth when they walked, with a passive, uninterested and pale, nearly transparent, faces that glowed with an enchanting beauty ("_Fairies_," Hermione murmured softly with a little wonder in her voice); still more had features neither could place in a specific category.

Even among the crowd, they could see that the floors were a dark brown wood, almost black, and the walls were a navy blue. Doors of the same wood as the floor lined the walls alternately; black plaques over the doors sported the room numbers and teachers' names in gold letters. At the back of the hall was a winding staircase that led up to, they assumed, the top floor and the tower beyond. They walked through the throng to the stairs, and further up to the top hall; they found it the same as the bottom – decorated the same with a crowd filling it. They could see the stairs ascending beyond their sight, going up in a dimly lit spiral.

The two of them pushed their way to their destination; the plaque over their classroom door said 'De la Sombras (3) 229.' When they entered, they found most of the seats filled with students, their various familiars resting on the table tops. The desks were two to a person and all but one in the very back was full; the students had already chosen seats with their friends. Upon their entrance, more people noticed them, some whispering to one another. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes; apparently, being a few thousand miles away didn't change students all _that_ much. The two hurried to the seat in the back – though Hermione hated being in the back – placing Hedwig and Athena on the table. The cat immediately sat up, watching the other feline familiars suspiciously; she didn't like the fact that there were so many potential threats in one room.

Suddenly, a shrill bell rang. A split second after, a loud pop resounded throughout the room, startling many of the students; the familiars sent up cries of surprise and warning, Athena crouching low with a hiss. A man suddenly appeared in the center of the room.

He was tall, unusually so, and lanky. He was not wearing a robe; a pair of black pants and a black button-up covered his tanned form. He had inky black hair pulled back into a braid and he had unusually sharp black eyes despite his expression of apathy; they shot fire at anyone who dared to meet his gaze. Harry suddenly felt his magic give the same sort of tingle that all magical creatures gave him – apparently, the professor was not as human as he appeared. But, this feeling was different than that of creatures like Nar; while the elf's had been warm and silky, like feeling the sun on your skin, de la Sombra's was cold and sharp, like icicles jabbing his body. He resisted the urge to shiver, refusing to give this clearly harsh man even that.

"My name is Mateo de la Sombras and I am going to be your instructor for this year." His voice was thick with a South American accent and his voice was deep and gruff, as icy cold as his aura. He walked to the front with a sort of gliding grace and turned slowly back around to face them.

"I will not allow you to delude yourself into thinking that I am going to be your friend. I am _not _your friend, nor your babysitter – I will not see it as my duty to save you if you make a stupid mistake and get yourself in trouble. This class is dangerous; if you cannot handle it, get out before something _takes you_ out." A chilled silence came over the class at his calloused tone. The younger students sent one another terrified looks – they didn't like the idea that they could die so young. Harry was saddened to realize that he felt nothing – he had been pushed to the point of death so many times that his words didn't even bother him. He glanced over to see how Hermione was holding up, and saw that she seemed a little more cautious than worried; it was more a practical fear than the bone deep terror the others around them – with few exceptions, he noticed, surprised; there weren't as many 'dark' creatures in this class as he expected (maybe they were against summoning their own kind to do their bidding) – showed on their faces.

A trembling hand slowly went up, and de la Sombras's gaze snapped to it, almost like a predator zeroing in on its prey.

"What?" he growled.

"U-u-um, w-what do you m-mean they c-could t-take us o-out?" a young, human boy stammered, cowering under the heated gaze. _He and Snape would get along very well_, Harry thought dryly.

"I mean you could _die_," he said bluntly, clearly exasperated with the student. The student's eyes widened immensely.

"How?" Hermione suddenly piped up, her voice steady. Mateo looked at her for a moment, his brows narrowing; his face was perturbed for a moment before switching back to the same stony countenance.

"The creatures you summon in this class are, more often than not, displeased by being forcefully brought under another's power, and will therefore find any way to break the contract."

"Contract?" Hermione asked, more curious now than before.

"When you create a sigil and summon your creature, a contract is made the instant the creature enters the sigil – it is only through that contract that you have power over them. However, any mistake you make in the drawing nullifies the contract and gives the creature license to attack you. You will learn throughout the year that precision means survival. And it is not my job to teach you how to defend yourself should the creature attack – like I said: I will not do it for you. The only one that can save your life is you, or any of you that decide to be a hero," Hermione nodded and de la Sombras moved on, "Any more questions?" no one raised their hands; all was silent – not even the familiars made a sound, feeding off their master's emotions and the atmosphere of the classroom.

The professor smirked, his first real expression of the day, before continuing,

"Now, get out your books. Chapter one," no one but Harry and Hermione moved; Mateo frowned before snapping, "Now!"

It was like the students had been electrified; Harry had never seen students move so fast, not even in Potions. Books were out on their desks and open to the right page so fast that it startled even the familiars.

"Start reading; Everyday you will read a chapter, and an essay on it will be due either by the end of class or first thing the next day, depending on my mood; don't think that just because today is the first day of class that I will go easy on you. I want an essay on the meaning of sigils on my desk by the end of class." The professor walked back to his desk and sat down, throwing his feet up on the desk and leaning back. Harry glanced around; Hermione was already nose deep in the section and the other students were scared into compliance.

Harry sighed in annoyance; Mateo's gaze snapped to him immediately – apparently the professor had a hawk's hearing. Harry gazed back at him levelly. For a moment, Mateo's eyes bled blood red, before he smirked and went back to his desk. Surprised and confused by the unusual reaction, Harry went to work, giving him at least, for the moment, his compliance.

Once he had started to read, however, Harry found the chapter fascinating; he had never even heard of sigils before, and he couldn't understand why. If they really could be used to gain power over the creatures, why didn't the British wizards use it, since they hated them so much? He supposed that some could go crazy with power, but still – it seemed like it was worth the effort.

He found the paper practically writing itself and before he knew it, the essay was finished; he was done even before Hermione, who rolled her eyes playfully at him as he rose to turn it in. The other students shot him surprised and dirty looks – they probably thought he was some sort of teacher's pet. Well, they would be sadly mistaken. There was only one teacher he wished to get close to – and he should hold off on those thoughts till later.

He placed the essay firmly on de la Sombra's desk, making the black-haired man look up lazily at him. He had been asleep for the time it had taken Harry to read the whole chapter and write the essay (which was about fifteen minutes over an hour), and his eyes were slow in opening.

"Harry Potter – done first, are we?" startled that the teacher knew his name, Harry didn't answer. Mateo smirked at him before waving him off, "Go on back to your seat, human, and wait for the bell." Mateo sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. Sending a glare to the arrogant professor, Harry grudgingly went back as directed._ Oh yes_, Harry mentally grumbled, _he would __**definitely**__ fit in with Professor Snape_. He passed Hermione on her way to turn in her paper.

When she returned, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"_Man_, that was brutal," she groaned, before looking up, surprised, "I think that's the first time that I've ever _not_ enjoyed an essay," she sighed. Harry simply chuckled.

"Where is your next class?" he murmured. She pulled out her paper and scanned the list.

"Um…the north wing; yours?"

"The tower on the northwest end."

"The _tower_?" Harry nodded. "Well, at least we can walk some of the way together."

The two fell silent almost together, both simply watching the other students scurrying to finish the essay before time was up. Harry glanced at the clock – it said that they had about fifteen minutes left.

That last fifteen was incredibly boring and seemed to drag on forever. The room was completely silent except for the fluttering of wings, the restless scratch of claws, and the one stray 'ribbit' that wound its way into the air. There was a surge of people taking up their essays at around ten minutes into it, and it was relatively amusing to see them try to get their papers up on the table as fast as possible so as to not disturb the professor – Harry was sure he would have complete control over most of this class; Harry himself hadn't quite decided whether or not he should comply, but he knew most of the others definitely would, especially since noncompliance meant not learning the sigils and then being faced with a brutal death.

Finally, the bell rang. The students surged as one, like a sea of fear. Harry and Hermione waited until they were among the stragglers before trying to leave. Hermione picked up Athena, Harry picked up Hedwig and the small group made their way out toward their wings. They waded through the people, trying their best to keep their familiars from being jostled too badly as the crowd was densely packed in the hallways; however, when it hit the courtyard, it was like a release of pressure; they suddenly had a lot more air and freedom of movement.

When they reached their wings, they turned to one another.

"So, do you want to meet out here for lunch?"

"Sounds good, since it'll be right after our second class."

"Alright; see you later!" They hugged and entered their respective wings. Harry made his way toward the stairs that went up to the tower. He ascended the winding steps and finally ended up at the top, in front of an unusual door. It was directly overhead, like a trap door in the ceiling. He pushed it open and put Hedwig on the floor just inside. He pulled himself up just after and closed the door once safely.

Harry stood up and looked around; the room in the tower was very open, with only a few pieces of furniture lining the walls. There seemed to be a door on the wall, probably some sort of closet. It had only one window, which looked out far into the grounds of Caliber's and the village. The rest was simply a red, carpeted floor. There was also no teacher in sight.

Hedwig hooted softly in confusion. Harry sighed and turned to her. He crouched down in front of his familiar with a wry smile.

"I know, girl; I guess he's not here yet." Harry jerked at a sharp pop that sounded behind him.

"Who's not here yet?" A playful, oddly familiar voice asked behind him. Harry turned around and his mouth promptly fell open in shock.

"M-_Michelle_?"

* * *

No.1: Dichotic, for those who don't know, means basically two sided or two unlike things paired with one another, like how there are Dark and Light sides of the war.

No.2: Anduril means "Flame of the west" in Qenyan; I feel its sort of symbolic since the actual flame of the west is the sun, and sunrise can be seen as a symbol for a new life, which is what they wish to achieve.

No.3: His name means literally "of the shadows" in Spanish; seems fitting to me! XD

Ooh! Cliffy! Stay tuned!

Title means 'school'

Read & Review


	17. Chapter 17

Beta: harryfan160889

* * *

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_"Who's not here yet?" A playful, oddly familiar voice asked behind him. Harry turned around and his mouth promptly fell open in shock._

_"M-Michelle?"_

* * *

Chapter 17: Schola, pars II

Remus stared at the office he and Sirius had been taken to. Talnus had stepped out to his personal kitchen (through a door connected the office) to get some tea and snacks for them, allowing the two to take in their surroundings. His office was very comfortable; it had a dark red wood desk and warm, soft leather seats for them to recline in as they waited. The desk was simple but elegant – there were vines heavy with fruits carved into the front, but the rest was simply a lacquered mahogany.

On top of the desk were miscellaneous stacks of papers, all of which looked official – most of them had been stamped with a seal, from where he could see, and had a loopy signature at the bottom. There was a huge tome lying in the center of the desk, open to what seemed like a random page. He couldn't read it – it was in a language he couldn't place – but the picture on other page was of some sort of troll; what kind he wasn't certain.

Off to the side sat Avaric, grooming himself on a small wooden perch; it was just the right size for the hawk to be comfortable, and it branched and knobbed as if it was an actual tree branch. It probably was, now that he thought about it, kept from petrifaction by some spell or another.

Book cases lined the walls, full to the brim with books of all sizes, subjects, and colors; to his surprise, every single book looked old and well-used, but well taken care of. The visible bindings were a little frayed and the lettering was somewhat faded on the majority of them. It was clear that their owner loved each and every one of his books – if he didn't, he wouldn't have taken so much care in keeping them so well kept. It was also clear that this personal library wasn't just for show, like some people who tried to feign class and sophistication – Talnus was a well-learned man and proud of it.

A large fireplace was the only break in the sea of books, as there was no door (it was just like the entrance to platform nine-and-three-quarters; they had simply walked through the wall, which would become solid only for those the headmaster did not grant entrance into his office). It was made of a sable stone, and rose up to the ceiling, where the top blended in with the black brick. It was not being used – only a fool would use a fireplace in September – but it clearly looked very cozy and more than efficient enough to heat the office and probably the entire suite beyond just on its own, as well as provide sufficient light if the headmaster needed it to.

At the moment, however, the only light that entered the room was through a square window at least three feet above their heads, which seemed to fan out over the room like a blanket of sun. The dim lighting made the homey feel of the office even more profound.

"This is place is nice, isn't it, Sirius?" Remus murmured with a small smile. The black-haired Marauder smiled in return, his eyes roving appreciatively over the room just like his wolf.

"Yes; I could get used to staying here." The two share a warm smile, before settling back into their chairs. As if on cue, the headmaster came through the door, a tray full of a teapot, cups, cream, sugar and four plates (stacked on top of each other with scones resting on the top one) floating behind him.

Talnus descended into his chair with a smile. Three cups and three plates floated off the tray for each of them and the pot poured tea as if on its own accord. The plate of scones rose so the three other ones could follow suit, and then one scone a piece rose from the plate, each situating itself on the others. The scones plate floated back down, as did the teapot.

"Good morning, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin-" Talnus started.

"Call me Sirius, please; Mr. Black was my father." Sirius cut in with a smile.

"Call me Remus, too, since we'll be working together from now on."

"Yes of course. Now, would you like cream or sugar in your tea?"

"Yes, for me," Remus said politely.

"How many spoonfuls?"

"Um, two will do. And just a little bit of cream is fine."

"Alright; and you, Sirius?"

"None for me, thanks."

The cream and sugar jars rose and went to Remus's cup. Remus watched them as a little bit of cream was poured into the cup, and then the sugar was spooned in, which the spoon stirred in. They put themselves back on the tray. To his surprise, he noticed no movements of Talnus's hands that could have been responsible for their actions – except, maybe for how his gaze followed their movements closely. But, he knew of no wizard with such control over their wandless magic – not even Dumbledore or the Dark Lord could do it, and if they could they never showed it – so surely that couldn't be how he was controlling them, could it?

"So," Talnus began, putting both of his hands on the desk and crossing his fingers, "I just want to thank you two again for coming."

"No need to thank us, Talnus; we are both very excited about this opportunity," Remus said with a smile.

Talnus smiled apologetically.

"Good, because I'm afraid that your job will have to start very soon; we admitted more werewolves and more students of age interested in becoming Animagi this year than expected , so we have to start your sessions off early to get all of them seen in time for the next full moon and the examination in the next few months."

"Oh, well that's alright," Remus assured, "I can see more than one student at a time if need be; I used to be a professor myself, so I am used to dealing with a large number of teenagers at once." He picked up his tea and sipped from it. It was just perfect.

"Thank you, Remus, but I don't know if that is a good idea. Many of these werewolves have personal questions they wish to ask, and do not want an audience there to hear it."

"Oh, well that's fine, too; as long as the students are okay with it, then so am I." Talnus's smile turned very relieved. He turned Sirius.

"Fortunately for you, Sirius, your class will dwindle eventually, as some of them are not strong enough to become Animagi – for now, though, the candidate list is very long."

"Alright, then; I'll weed out those who can't accomplish it first – I won't actually help with the transformation until then," Sirius said, relieved. He didn't know if could handle so many students at once. He loved children, but teenagers could be right brats if they wanted to be, especially since he had to be the one to tell them they didn't have the ability to be what they came for.

Talnus nodded, a small smile spreading over his face. They were taking this better than he had expected.

"So, when will we be starting?" Remus sipped from his tea again.

Talnus laughed a little sheepishly. He had known that question would arise at some point.

"Today, starting at lunch for you, Remus, and dinner for you, Sirius."

"At dinner?" Sirius said with disappointment and surprise in his voice. Damn, he had hoped for a little more time to prepare what he was going to do with the students. He had barely found time before the first day to settle down in the house, as they were all working on the young adults' preparations (then there was that fiasco with the store clerk and the letter from the twins); he had barely even think about what he was supposed to do with a huge group of teenagers…

Great. Just great.

"I know, Sirius, and I'm sorry, but it is the only thing we can do at the moment. We can change the time in the future once you have determined the definite candidates, but for now dinner is the only time slot open, since most of the candidates are living off campus anyway. We don't want any of the students to miss out on classes and homework so early in their year, especially for those who are about to graduate."

"Yes, yes, I understand," Sirius sighed in mock-sadness, his tone joking, "I just don't want to miss out on Remus's amazing cooking." he hid a teasing smile behind his cup, sipping innocently away.

"You know I'll save a plate for you, Sirius," Remus muttered, rolling his eyes at the playful dog's teasing – although if one looked closely enough one could see the slightest hint of pink on his cheeks.

Talnus watched them with a hawk's eye, having caught the flush on Remus's face. If he wasn't mistaken, the two were flirting (there was tenderness to Remus's words that wouldn't have been there otherwise), yet not openly, which could only mean that they weren't together – interesting…

"Yes," Talnus laughed, "well, you won't have to wait very long – at least not today, Sirius. Today can be a very short day for you, if you'd like."

"Alright then."

"When do lunch and dinner start?"

"Lunch starts round noon, no later than 12:15. Dinner is served from five to six so that students can work on their homework and still eat. If you would like, the two of them could only see the students for half an hour for the first few months, or let them eat before they come talk to you. Whichever you choose is fine."

"They could come eat, before they meet with us – that way we can eat before we come here to meet with them; sound good, Sirius?" the black-haired marauder nodded.

"That's fine with me."

"Alright, good."

"Also, I would like to extend permission to the other werewolves to come to our house – as long as they come at a reasonable time of course and do not miss any school – in case all of their questions are not answered during lunch or they think of something afterwards that they wish to ask me about, as I'm not accessible to them at school, if that's alright?" Remus asked.

"That's alright with me, although they will need signed permission from the both of us to leave campus – I can have the forms to you by tomorrow. Your meetings are not mandatory like Sirius's, and some may need to make up tests, serve detentions or study during lunch instead of coming see you, so it would be nice to have a way for them to see you outside of school. Thank you so much, Remus."

"No problem. I would hate to miss the chance to help them out."

"So," Talnus asked, "Anymore questions?"

"No, I think we're good – Remus?" Sirius asked. The werewolf shook his head.

"Nothing about the job, no." Sirius shot Remus a look when he said that, but at his brunette's smile he left it alone.

"Alright, well then I guess we're done here for the day." Talnus stood as did the two guests. "And remember, if you have any questions feel free to ask me."

"Will do. Thank you for the tea," Remus said, holding out his hand to shake with Talnus's, "It was delicious."

Sirius downed the last of his before doing the same.

"You two are most welcome." He walked the two men to the door. "And thank you again for doing this – the students and I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Remus allowed Sirius to go first, the black-haired man's body disappearing behind the rippling brick, leaving no evidence of his presence behind, before turning to Talnus with a curious expression.

"There is one thing I want to ask you before we head home. It just started to bug me, and I can't quite wrap my head around it."

"What is it?"

"How did you know Harry was looking for a new school?" Talnus's brows rose, impressed, but not surprised. He had told Talnus about the wolf's astuteness. He was surprised Hermione hadn't been the first to make the connection, but then again he had never really gotten the chance to speak with her. It could only have been Remus, then.

The headmaster's smile was mysterious, but not malicious, with a sense that he was thinking fondly about someone.

"Let's just say someone very close to me had a hunch he needed one."

* * *

Harry stared at the red-haired wand-maker with his mouth open. Michelle merely stared back with a cat-like grin.

"Shocked, Mr. Potter?"

"What are you doing here?"

"You didn't want to see me?" Michelle placed a hand on his chest, a pout on his face, "Oh, I'm hurt – I thought we had bonded and everything."

"That's not what I meant!" Harry waved his arms, his face flushing, "I just thought-"

"That I was just a wand-maker?"

"Um, well, yeah." Harry finished lamely, rubbing the back of his neck. When he put it like that, it seemed much worse.

"It's alright, Mr. Potter," Michelle said brightly, "I actually was until this year."

"Really? What made you change?"

"I became interested in being a teacher, once I had gotten to see what it was like." Gotten to see what it was like? Harry thought in confusion. What does that mean?

"Oh, alright. Why am I the only one here?" Harry motioned to large, yet empty, room.

"Because most students have already learned to apparate or are taking this class in other periods. There are a surprisingly small number of students in need of this type of remedial apparition training."

"Remedial?"

"Yes; you and your colleagues, if haven't noticed, are a little behind," Michelle teased. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Thanks a lot, Michelle."

"Ah, ah, ah – while we're in school, it's Professor Bellefleur to you."

"Oh, excuse me," Harry teased back, "I meant 'thanks a lot, Professor Bellefleur.'" Michelle crossed his arms and sniffed arrogantly, though the effect was ruined by the smile threatening to spill across his face.

"That's much better, Mr. Potter." He straightened. "Now, let's begin. For this class, there are two main goals you need to achieve. My final will be a test of your abilities to apparate, obviously, but you will also have to pass a similar exam before a Board of Professors. You will have to apparate to any place on school grounds, excluding the forest and the Care of Magical Creatures classroom (we wouldn't want to scare the poor little beasts, now would we?), for both exams. The Board will have a vote, and if there is a majority in your favor, you will be allowed to get your license. However, you must complete my exam first, which will be in the next month. The exam with the Board will be held the day after."

"Why is a Board of Professors needed?" Usually the teachers had the authority to give out a students' license in class. What was a Board needed for?

"Protocol, to put it simply. All students have to take both exams, even those who have taken a regular apparition class. There were some issues with teachers that were allowing students to pass without proper preparation or any at all, and some of them died from a fatal splinching."

"…Damn." He didn't even want to think about dying from splinching. Michelle snorted with amusement.

"Language, Mr. Potter." Harry had the decency to look embarrassed. "So, let's start. As you know, the most important parts of apparition are your destination and your desire to go there. For the first part of this class, we will practice very simple apparition. For the second part of class, I will take you out to learn the layout of the school, as you will be allowed to apparate from class to class once you have your license – however, you need to know where these classes are first before you can do so. And the last part, as I've already said, consists of the exams."

"Alright, sounds reasonable enough," Harry said with a smile. "May I let Hedwig out now? No sense keeping her locked up."

"Why of course, Mr. Potter."

"Okay, please stop calling me 'Mr. Potter,'" Harry said as he bent to release Hedwig. The snowy owl hooted and immediately whirled about the room when freed, finally getting to stretch her wings. "I may be your student, but you can at least call me by my first name."

"Alright; Harry it is, then. Now, if you could please, examine the room around you." Harry complied, drinking in all of the décor and colors of the room. He wanted to be able to completely visualize the room before he started to apparate in it.

"Now, close your eyes and imagine the spot just beneath the window." Harry did so, squeezing his eyes closed. He could see the dark black brick broken by the outlined stones of the window; light filtering through it highlighted the carpeted floor and making it a lighter red, almost pink.

"Now, I want to wish with all your might that you were there, right under the window…right. About…" Michelle paused, as if waiting for the right moment. Harry could feel anticipation building inside him. Would he make it?

"Now."

Harry disappeared in a loud pop.

* * *

Hermione pushed open the door to her class room – the label above which read 'Cinders 22' – but was stopped as it hit someone on the other side. She heard a deep grunt of surprised pain, and a large hand appeared on the side of the door. Whoever she had hit pulled it the rest of the way open.

An apology immediately sprung from her mouth.

"Oh, I am so sorry, are you alright?" she stopped the last syllable short when she realized just who she had run into. Red eyes stared back her teasingly, a smirk plastered onto an all-too-familiar mouth.

"Well, damn, I didn't know you were one take out the competition like this, Ms. Granger." The man from the bookstore smirked back at her shocked face, leaning against the door. He didn't look to be in pain at all, she noticed, which turned her surprised face into a scowl.

"Oh, it's you," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. His smirk widened.

"Oh, you know you wanted to see me – denying it will only make life harder for you." He said back, his voice dropping to a knowing, cocky, and deceivingly understanding murmur. She snorted. "And the name's Kieran. Kieran Matheson." He bent so he was staring her in the eye. He was only about an inch or two taller than her and did not need to bend much, but still it served to make him seem to tower over her. "Remember it; I guarantee it will be important to you later." He purred. She felt an unusual mix of fear and attraction rise in her – what the hell? Just a second ago she had been ready to push his cocky ass out of the way, and now she felt frozen under his gaze. She blinked, trying to wake herself out of her stupor; she suddenly realized that his eyes were tinted a soft red, mixing with the original black. She backed up and spat,

"Don't flatter yourself, you-you-what are you, anyway? You're not human. You can't be. " No human could make her feel so strangely. He chuckled and straightened back up, a triumphant smile on his face.

"I am a vampire." The red in his eyes darkened and his smirk widened at the shocked look that appeared on the witch's face. Sure enough, now that she knew what to look for, his canines gleamed at her threateningly behind his pretty smile. Hermione gulped, holding Athena a little tighter. She looked past him to the class, seeing the other students settling down, and took a deep breathe to steady her thoughts, before looking back him with a glare.

"Are you going to move out of my way so I can get inside?" he smirked and stepped back just enough for her to slide past. However, she would have to slide against him to get into the classroom. Nice try, she thought, smirking mentally, but it's not going to work. She moved past him, but when she did, she made sure that Athena, who would no doubt be a little pressed for space, was between them.

The cat hissed when she passed him, as she was the one who was forced between the two bodies, but she didn't lash out – Hermione, however, could feel her claws flexing, digging into the fabric of her hoodie tensely.

Kieran watched, impressed, as the human got around his obvious maneuver to tease her. Once again she was proving to be a challenge – he wouldn't want anything less from her. However, when she got close, a delicious scent wafted toward him – vanilla and cinnamon, he determined. He felt his fangs elongate completely unbidden – vampire fangs were longer than normal humans, but when they were fully out, that were at least two inches long – and his pupils dilated instinctively as his muscles tensed. He looked away from her before she could see; very few people had been able to make him react like that, and not many of them had been human. He had heard that some of his kind had a type, but he hadn't believed it until now…

From the corner of his eye he watched her take her seat, discretely (or so she thought) glancing at him. She must have noticed how tense he had gotten when they had passed. He couldn't tell her, not about that – most humans panicked when they learned why he reacted that way – at least not now. He had to keep this sort of thing under wraps; it was necessary.

He wandered back to his seat – which was only two rows back and diagonal from Hermione – in a daze, his mind fogged by her scent and confusion. One question kept popping into his mind:

Why had he just noticed it now?

Hermione watched the vampire sit down, his face scrunched in confusion and much more open then she had seen it before. He walked to his desk almost like he was in a trance – but that didn't make any sense. Why was he suddenly so withdrawn and introspective when he had been cocky and arrogant mere moments before? Something was clearly wrong with him.

However, before she could dwell on that, a loud pop resounded throughout the room. All of the students' eyes swung to stare at the new arrival.

It was a short, thin woman with a stern face. She was wearing the most ridiculous outfit – a dark pink dress suit that molded to her shape far too well for it to be comfortable – Can she really breathe in that thing? Hermione wondered with amusement – with frills on the bottom. She wore a frilly, bright orange shirt over top, completely out of place with her skirt. Her dirty-blonde hair was done up in a bun, with little tendrils falling down into her face. She was pretty, but she would have been beautiful if she didn't have such a sour look about her. Her cold gray gaze roved over them all as if clinically assessing them.

Finally, she spoke.

"Good morning, children. My name is Dorathea Cinders. You will address me as Ms. Cinders. Not 'Cinders,' not 'Ms. C' – just Ms. Cinders, understood?" the class nodded in response. "Good. Now, I can see that some of you, the majority of you, are magical creatures. You will find that Runic Magic is a very flexible magic and can change depending on what sort of magic you use. I will teach you the same basics, but you will have to learn on your own to adjust your magic to the Runes. For the beginning of class, we will be learning the history of Runes themselves. Everyone, please take out your textbooks and read chapters one and two. When done, start on an essay explaining to me, in your own words, the purpose of Runes in the magical world."

Hermione sighed and pulled out her book, flipping, as the board said, to page one. She had always been interested in Runes, but she wanted to actually work with them now, not learn about them. Sighing, she turned her gaze down to the page and started to read.

Almost immediately she changed her mind. She knew the basic history of Runes, having taken an intermediate class about them at Hogwarts, but this book held more information about Runes on the first page than she had learned about in the entire class that Professor Babbling had taught. Babbling had been very vague about specifics on history, why Runes were used, the different types of spells used with Runes, focusing on the translation of Runes, but the history of Runes, though shorter, was better documented in America. The new information appeased and intrigued her inner bookworm.

According to the textbook, though Runes had been used for centuries in Europe by the Germanians and the Norse, the practice was relatively young in America. It had been brought over by a wizard, named Terrance Thurisaz (1), disguising himself as a Puritan to gain free passage to the New World, who had secretly spread it to his followers. It had been lost momentarily during the Witch trials that had swarmed the colonies in the 1690s, when all magical creatures hid themselves for fear of persecution. It had been found again by an archeologist, a squib, named Martin Thuris, a descendent of the wizard who had first brought Runes overseas.

Once it had been made known again to the magical community, it had quickly developed into a common practice and soon branched off into the different types in the eighteenth century, based on the different creatures that used them. Most of Northern Europe, specifically the countries surrounding England and France, which either hated or were wary of dark creatures, had never developed the separate branches, as other creatures were seen as too volatile to handle the intricate magical power of the Runes – they would have a leverage over their human counterparts, as certain creatures could naturally create stronger Runic spells. They would be too powerful, as it was harder to undo a Runic spell than one created through inner magic with or without a wand. One needed to know the correct meaning of the Rune, the intention of the spell, and then find the starting point of the maze of magic the Runes created before one could create a counter spell or stop the spell before its intent was carried out. It was a complicated process and very few people really and truly mastered it, but when one did learn the ins and outs of Runic spells, one could be incredibly powerful. All but one of the recorded Rune Masters had been American and some sort of magical creature. If the Ministry knew that fact, they would never risk the chance of losing the control they had over these creatures.

She was also surprised to learn that Runes were generally used in sigils, too, like the ones she would learn in Sigils Apps – the two classes could be a great help when coupled together. Now that she thought about it, she would have to teach Runes to Harry later, so that they could both use them to customize their own sigils to call forth even stronger creatures.

She was sort of happy that the use of Runes for anything else than translation was look down upon in England, they wouldn't know what they could actually use them for. If they knew about the contracts formed between the sigil caster and the creature summoned, the Ministry could use the sigils to execute even more control over the oppressed dark creatures.

She had already finished chapter one and was starting on the next one when she felt a presence in front of her desk. She looked up and was surprised to see Ms. Cinders standing before her. The thin-lipped woman had an expression on her face that looked as if she was trying to smile, but her face wasn't quite suited for the unusual shift in muscles.

"You seem very eager, Miss-?"

"Granger. Hermione Granger." She hummed in acknowledgement.

"Ah, Miss Granger – you have practically flown through the chapter, when most of the class is still on page one." Hermione glanced around, noticing that yes, most of the students had not gotten very far – some had already fallen asleep.

"Is that…a problem?" The lines in the woman's face that almost made a smile deepened.

"Of course not. In fact, it is quite refreshing. Not many students, humans at least, so readily adhere to the content of Runes, especially the history part. It is refreshing, to be honest." Hermione, surprised by the woman's praise, took a moment to respond.

"Thank you, ma'am. I have always been interested in Runes, but the class I took at Hog-home didn't give nearly the amount of information that this book did." Hermione held the teacher's gaze resolutely, praying she hadn't caught the slip up. She didn't want to bring more attention than necessary to her origin.

"At home, hm? Were you homeschooled?"

"…Basically…" Hermione answered reluctantly. Though she had been taught traditionally, she had technically taught herself in most subjects, especially in Runes, since she had truly enjoyed the subject. So, technically, she wasn't lying, per se, just bending the truth a little. Still, she felt a little twinge of guilt.

"Very good. I hope you stay that energetic about your studies, Miss Granger; the world needs people like that nowadays."

"Um, yes, ma'am, it does." Hermione said with amusement. Ms. Cinders looked to be in her mid-twenties and yet she clearly thought like someone much older than she was. It was funny to say the least.

"Well, back to work." The blonde nodded abruptly, straightening her shirt like she hadn't meant to get off topic, and spun around to the other students. Hermione watched her go, shaking her head.

This school sure had some interesting characters in it.

She could only guess what Harry's second period teacher was like. At least she could find out at lunch, which was coming up next, then onto third and fourth and then back home. Had she really almost gotten through half her day already? Well, it had been an interesting day, to say the least. Her first period teacher had been very…intriguing to the least, and then there had been that weird reaction of Kieran's – not to mention that she had also learned that he was a vampire…

She shook her head to clear it of her thoughts. She hadn't quite gotten through her day yet, no matter how long it had seemed.

And besides, she still had a whole chapter left to go.


	18. Chapter 18

Beta: harryfan160889

* * *

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_She shook her head to clear it of her thoughts. She hadn't quite gotten through her day yet, no matter how long it had seemed._

_And besides, she still had a whole chapter left to go._

* * *

_Chapter 18: Scola, pars 3_

Hermione waded her way through the crowd on her way to lunch. She couldn't see Harry in all these bodies, but she had a feeling she would find him soon. Sure enough, only about a minute or two into her search, she heard a familiar voice call her name. When she turned, however, she was surprised that it wasn't just Harry. Remus was behind him, doing his best to follow the taller man through the crowd. Hedwig was snug inside her little cage clutched in Harry's hand. At first, Hermione had thought that the bird would protest against constant confinement, but now it seemed like she was completely fine with it – and she could see why too. The cage offered a little breathing room in all the moving bodies of students, as it forced the others out of the way for the cage to get by, and therefore Hedwig was safe from being squished – a luxury Athena did not have.

"Harry, Remus," She said with a smile when the wizards came up beside her, "I'm glad you found me; I would not have wanted to spend lunch alone."

"Unfortunately, Hermione," Remus said apologetically as the trio moved aside to let the others past while they talked, "I cannot stay; I'm on my way to see the werewolf students. I can't stay for lunch."

"Oh, alright; where are you going?"

"To the tower on the east end; Talnus sent Avaric over earlier with the rooms for Sirius and I once he had gotten it settled. I wanted to go early so I could get my thoughts straight before I met them and so I could get all the information down that I want to give them."

"Information?" Harry asked curiously.

"I've asked for permission to allow the students to come over – at reasonable times, mind you – to the house if they want to ask me something they didn't get to cover during the time I get to see them. Hope you two don't mind."

"I don't mind; Harry, do you?" Hermione answered, turning to her 'brother.' Harry shook his head. "That was really nice of you; did Sirius say the same?" Remus chuckled.

"No, but I think he will once he knows for certain who the students are that will be definite Animagi." Remus murmured Tempus under his breath and the numbers appeared above him. It read 10:05. "Unfortunately I must go; you two have a good day and I'll see you when you get home."

"Bye, Remus," Harry called as the wolf walked away.

"Good luck," Hermione called as she and Harry made their way to lunch. They got into step, walking side by side as best they could through the crowd that was going toward the southern wing where the dining hall was. They were surprised the crowd was still there despite the time they had spent talking. The door was small, but it seemed like the huge crowd was having no trouble getting in through the small opening. As they got closer, they realized the reason. The students were getting smaller once they got to the door, shrinking to about half their height and weight, then reverting back to normal on the other side. When the pair and their familiars entered, they realized the shift was painless; in fact, some of the students – who were probably used to the change besides the first years – didn't even seem to acknowledge this fact as they walked through, simply continuing their conversations like nothing was happening to them. Harry and Hermione shared a look of surprise. They were thoroughly impressed, to say the least.

The door opened up to a room that was surprisingly large, but was not the dining room. The walls were a soft green with a light-brown, wooden trimming at the bottom and the top. There were comfortable looking chairs along the walls and a light oak desk off to the side that was currently empty; this looked more like a main lobby to a hotel than one to a school. Talnus was most definitely a person that did not hesitate to make the school as beautiful as possible.

The crowd moved further through a door that was open in front, which was bigger than the other one and didn't need the spell that the other door had had. The door opened to a hallway that was large enough to accommodate all of them to some extent, and then opened up to a humungous room.

They had made it to the dining room.

The students filed in toward their seats as Hermione and Harry gazed at the room. It was rather large, with a cathedral ceiling that rose high overhead, sloping on both sides to a point. A scene had been painted on the ceiling, which changed every few moments to another picture. To Harry's surprise, he realized that it depicted the history of the school itself; the founding only two hundred years ago when it was only a one-room schoolhouse and its evolution to the huge edifice it was now. He and Hermione watched as sections of the building were added every few years – the date at the bottom changed with each picture to show elapsed time – since it was created. In the last century, however, there had been a complete renovation of the lopsided school – oblong due to the awkward additions of the sections – that had given birth to the black brick castle of the present.

There was only one constant through all the pictures, and that was a man who look exactly like Talnus Caliber. His clothes had changed with the times – and Harry was looking at him from far away – but his hair and his demeanor had stayed the same. Even the bird on the man's shoulder looked exactly like Avaric. But that couldn't be true – surely that bird had not lived over two centuries…

Right?

Harry shook his head in wonder at the thought and finally tore his gaze away when the pictures started to repeat themselves to look at the rest of the room. In a picture reminiscent of the Hogwarts dining hall, there were long, wooden tables set up next to each other, with a raised dais – large enough to fit all of the teachers, which numbered over 100 – at the front of the room.

The difference was the fact that no house banners hung from the ceiling, and there were so many colors in the sea of the students that there was no hope for house colors or for any separation among the students. That in and of itself was a relief.

Of course, as was natural for any group, certain species were flocked together – there were a group of young girls near the back who were surrounded by plants that seemed to have grown from nowhere. They were all incredibly gorgeous and their skin seemed to glow a faint green, as if an inner light was pulsing beneath their skin. They had garnered the attention from many of the males in the room, especially a group of males nearby them. They all had curly hair of different shades and small horns poking through the strands. They were wearing long pants despite the heat and Harry could see why. Hooves poked out from beneath them. When he looked closer, he could see that their legs were bent oddly and therefore pushing their torsos forward; there was also what looked like an extra bone poking out from where an ankle would be normally. Harry had no idea what they were, though he could just about guess with the little knowledge he had of Greek mythology. The girls had to be nymphs or something of that sort and the males had to be fauns, if the hooves and the horns were any clue.

There were more groups of creatures he couldn't recognize than those he could – some of those he could determine were the vampires, goblins (Griphook would love America), elves (though not house elves, the poor things), fairies (now that he knew what to look for), some werewolves (those here had decided to eat before their meeting with Remus, no doubt), centaurs (how had he not noticed them before?) standing off to the side, not needing to use the tables, and lastly giants, which took up on whole side of the room, and couldn't use the tables even if they wanted to, because of their size (Oh, if Hagrid could see this…). The different groups seemed content being around their own kind, but he was glad to note that they had no problem with talking to the others around them or that some in the group would get up and move to see the others that were either in a mixed group or join a group of a completely different species. It was strange for the two of them to see that wizards were not the majority – in fact there were only a few that were distinguishably wizards, and they were scattered throughout the room.

He looked up to the teacher's dais, which was half-empty. There was Talnus, already eating and conversing with the others around him, and Avaric was chewing on his lunch beside him. He noticed sadly that Nar was nowhere to be seen. He would have to check back later. Michelle wasn't there, either, but De la Sombras sat off to the side, at the end of the massive dais. He talked with no one, but he seemed perfectly okay with that.

"Come on, Harry; let's get a seat. We look daft standing here and staring at them," Hermione hissed, pulling him out of his reverie, as she grabbed his arm and dragged him to an empty seat. Sure enough, people had noticed that the two new students seemed to be standing there and staring at them, and they were getting some weird looks. Harry sighed; of course they would make the students think they were strange before they had even been allowed to meet any of them – but, Harry reminded himself, they didn't need to be their friend, just get them to tolerate the pair for the time being.

Hermione chose a seat near the back, a little ways away from the others at the table. He could feel their gazes on the pair as they sat down, Athena finally placed down on a table since they had made their way to lunch and Hedwig let out of her cage for the moment. Harry placed her cage beside him on the floor. The moment they sat down, a plate appeared before them, full of delicious looking food. They were apparently having spaghetti with garlic bread. A goblet for each of them appeared as well, full of water.

Not long after that, a series of pops could be heard just barely over the sound of chatter somewhere near to the front of the room, which signaled the arrival of the rest of the teachers.

"This looks good," Hermione murmured, her stomach rumbling a little. They hadn't eaten since that morning, and now they were both starving. Harry nodded in agreement. The two of them ate in silence for a while before Hermione decided to break it.

"So, Harry, how was your second period?" Hermione asked after she swallowed a bite.

"Very interesting," He smiled widely, twirling some of his pasta onto his fork. "I got to try apparition today. It was only a small distance, but it was really cool."

"Seeing as how you have not been visibly splinched, I assume it went well?"

"Yep; I apparated successfully; however, I did almost fall." Hermione laughed good-naturedly. That was just like Harry.

"Oh, and guess who my teacher was?" Harry leaned in like he was telling a secret.

"Who?" Hermione raised a brow and did the same.

"Michelle, the guy I got my wand from." Hermione's eyes widened comically and leaned back.

"Are you serious? Isn't that the same guy who said that cryptic thing about your future?"

"The one and the same." Harry nodded and glanced up at the teachers' table, since he knew that most of them had arrived. He passed his gaze over them, and sure enough he found the bright red of the wand-maker. He was seated right next to the headmaster of all people, and the two of them seemed to be deep in conversation.

"He's right there, next to Talnus." Hermione's brown eyes followed to where he had stated. There Michelle was, talking animatedly to the man beside him, his hands moving around in the air as he spoke.

"He looks very…energetic," she murmured with amusement.

"Oh, he is, trust me."

"Talnus doesn't seem to mind though." She nodded toward the headmaster. He was paying rapt attention to the redhead, his pearly eyes almost never leaving his face as he spoke, only tearing his eyes away to make sure the food on his fork made its way into his mouth. When that was done his eyes would swing right back to Michelle, as if drawn there by a magnet. Michelle was barely eating and he beamed under the undivided attention of the headmaster.

A thought struck the two adults at the same time. They looked to one another in surprise.

"Are those two…together?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"It certainly looks like it." They were so engrossed in each other they didn't even seem to notice that anyone else had arrived. Harry and Hermione glanced at one another with a smirk. "If not they will be soon." Hermione turned back to Harry. Harry tapped his chin and raised a brow at Hermione, a small, teasing smirk on his lips.

"Now I wonder why Michelle didn't mention that little fact to me when I was in his class?"

"Would you admit to being involved with someone you're technically not supposed to be involved with?" Nar suddenly popped into Harry's mind.

"It…depends." His gaze unintentionally went back to the dais, looking for the elf. He finally found Nar on the other end of the table, eating and talking quietly with a female professor beside him.

Nar looked stunning today, he noted. The elf had pulled his hair back into a high ponytail, allowing some of the strands to fall into his face and for his pointed ears to be seen. He was wearing a simple white button-up beneath his green cloak and he could see there was some sort of necklace hanging from his neck; the only details he could discern of the necklace was that it was silver and that it accented his long neck nicely. A small smile spread over his pretty face, and Harry saw him bring his hands up to his mouth as he quietly laughed. Harry swallowed. The simple elegance of the elf was captivating.

He was surprised to see the elf stop suddenly and slowly lift his head to look out to the crowd. Green eyes turned to his immediately, like Nar had instinctively known it was him that was staring. Their gazes held, Nar's mouth parting slightly in surprise.

Hermione followed where Harry's gaze led and was surprised to see that his gaze was locked with one of the teachers. It was a beautiful, blonde, elven man who seemed as engrossed in Harry as Harry was in him. She was a little startled at the connection that the two had seemed to have developed – and at the fact that the two had apparently met before and Harry had conveniently neglected to tell her; it was so…strong, but they hadn't been in the States that long and Harry had been with her and their guardians almost the entire time.

Except, she remembered suddenly, when they had gone shopping. Maybe Harry had met him then?

Well, no matter when Harry had met him, Harry needed to stop staring at a professor so intently. Surely that would a problem with the other teachers.

"Harry," she hissed softly, so as not to draw more attention to them, and flicked his arm to draw his attention away from the blonde, "who is he?" Harry's head snapped to her almost like he had forgotten she was there and he blinked owlishly.

"H-him?" he glanced back at the teacher's table to find Nar wasn't looking at him anymore, staring intently at his plate like he could burn a hole through it to disappear into as the woman beside him kept trying to get his attention. A dark pink blush lit up his stunned face. Harry looked back at Hermione, suddenly realizing what had just happened. He resisted the urge to blush. "That's just Na-Professor Elenion, the teacher that I'm going to be assisting next period," he answered finally in a detached voice.

"Oh," Hermione said lamely, looking away. She didn't want to ask, but she desperately wanted to know what the hell had just happened. She had caught that little slip-up – Harry knew the man's name already? This day was becoming almost overwhelmingly eventful.

"So, 'Mione," Harry started brightly, his face holding a strained smile, "How was your second period?" He laughed awkwardly at the raised brow he got in return. He knew that she knew that that was just an incredibly obvious attempt of his to change the subject, but he prayed she would take it. He didn't want to explain his relationship with Nar to anyone just yet – because for Merlin's sake he couldn't. He didn't know why the man drew him, he didn't know why the man seemed drawn to him, and that scared him. At least when he had dated girls in England it had been obvious why he had dated them – he was the Boy-Who-Lived, the hero, and it was expected of him. Now that he actually had a truly magnetic attraction to someone, and he had to figure out an explanation for why on his own, he was floundering.

And he hated it.

Hermione sighed, deciding to give Harry some slack – for now.

"Second period was interesting as well, for me. Did you know that Runes are used in the sigils that we're going to be using in first period?" Harry's brows disappeared beneath his hair.

"Well isn't that convenient. Wonder why they didn't couple the classes together?"

"Merlin knows. Anyway, I'll teach you about Runes once I get the hang of them myself, since in Sigil Apps we only need to what creature the sigil is for, not what the symbols on it mean. If we can get good at it, we can use the Runes to create stronger sigils for…when they will be useful." Harry nodded, digging back into his food.

"Did you like your teacher?"

"She was…alright. She seemed to like me though – or my enthusiasm, as it were."

"Your 'enthusiasm?' What does that mean?"

"She said that the world needed people like me – that my enthusiasm was 'refreshing.'" Harry snorted.

"She seems like your kind of teacher, 'Mione." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Did you like the class, anyway?" Suddenly her face turned into a scowl. Harry raised a brow.

"What's with that look?" She sighed.

"Well, there was this guy-"

"A guy, hm?" Hermione glared.

"Don't you start with me, Harry James Potter," She hissed.

"What? I'm just happy that there was 'a guy' at all."

"Yeah, well, he's an arrogant jerk," She muttered, crossing her arms, "There's certainly no attraction on my part."

"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself of that, 'Mione. Anyway, point him out to me." She sighed and turned around. There were so many people.

"I don't know where he is, so this may take a while," She muttered. Her gaze roved over the crowd until suddenly a face caught her eye. There he was.

"He's over there, near the right wall." Harry smirked.

"Found him fast, huh?"

"Oh, just shut up and look." Harry smirked as he looked where she said. There was a guy sitting there – he was bloody gorgeous. He had a dark skin, black hair, dark eyes, and a sexy smirk that drew people around him like a magnet. If he hadn't been currently dealing with his attraction to Nar, Harry would have definitely gone after him.

"That's him? Damn, Hermione; he's hot." She blushed and glared back at him.

"And he knows it too. That's why I don't like him." Yes, that was just like her. She hated people like that, which was one of the reasons she had never liked Draco.

"Do you know his name?"

"It's Kieran Matheson. He told me to remember it, because he guaranteed it would be 'important' to me later."

"He said that? You know he was coming on to you, right?

"Yes, Harry; I'm not stupid." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ooh, someone's testy. Is he human?" he was way too perfect to be human.

"No, he's a vampire – I found that out today, too."

"Aw; did you flirt back?"

"Of course not!" She squeaked, "I told you, he's a jerk."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't flirt back."

"Um, yes, Harry; it does. Besides, he's just doing that to get on my nerves. He's my competition for the top spot at this school." Harry whistled in mock admiration.

"Beauty and brains? 'Mione, he's perfect for you!" Hermione gave him a flat look.

"Hey, Harry?" Hermione said sweetly.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Shut up," She deadpanned. Harry simply laughed.

Suddenly, movement caught Harry's eye. Small groups of students, in ones and twos, got up and left for the door. Some of them had amber eyes, and most of them looked either nervous or excited.

"Do you think those are some of the students that Remus is going to meet with?" Harry asked curiously.

"Who knows, but we'll certainly find out later today."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Remus stared out of the window of the eastern tower, watching the grounds outside of the castle. He could see just barely Mystic Ridge from where he was, and the colorful little dot was still pulsating with life despite the fact that it was well into a school day. He was incredibly grateful that he had decided to come in earlier than was expected of him because the werewolves he was supposed to mentor had been slowly filtering into the tower – some had opted to come see him earlier than he had expected – and he was happy that he hadn't made the earlier ones wait too long. There had been a small crowd when he arrived, but it had dwindled easily enough, and now they were coming in small groups.

The werewolf turned when he heard the door to the tower open, making it just in time to see the entrance of two students. Lunch was going to end soon and he was pretty sure that these students would be his last of the day.

They were two boys – one was brunette; the other was blonde. The brunette walked right up to him undaunted and the blonde came behind him, almost hiding behind the other boy. The brunette did not feel like a wolf – he seemed human, but had a slightly different feel to him – however the blonde did. He smiled as disarmingly as possible, hoping he would get the courage to ask him what he wanted to know.

"Hello; how may I help you?" he said softly. The blonde boy was like many of the wolves who had come here – shy and uncertain about talking about their issues.

"My name is Maril. My friend here, Tir," the brunette said, pulling the hiding blonde forward, "has something to ask you." Like him, the young wolf's eyes had already turned back to their original color – the time for which people's eyes changed back varied naturally depending on each person – and his green gaze sought anything in the room but him.

"U-um…I heard that you once had a pack," He asked shyly. Remus's smile widened.

"Did some of the other students tell you?" He nodded. "Are you thinking of creating a pack of your own?" once again, a nod. He glanced at the brunette, who offered a bright smile in return.

"Well, that is true that I did have a pack; although it has greatly diminished since it was created, I can only say that the success of the pack was purely by chance. The only advice I can give is that it would be best to make sure that your pack consists of animals; I do not think that it would be a good idea to try with a human. I am not sure about other magical creatures," the older wolf murmured glancing at the brunette, "But I know that werewolves do feel more at ease with creatures like them." He finally turned to the brunette.

"Are you a human or do you have something else about you that could help?" Maril blinked and nodded.

"Yes, I do; I am shape-shifter." His brows rose in surprise.

"That's perfect. Do you have a form that you like the best?"

"Yeah. Hold on." He stood still and suddenly his body shortened. His hair got thicker and his clothes turned into a tawny orange coat. His ears shifted to the top of his head and pulled into a point before widening along its width. His arms, legs, and hands turned into four legs and paws; a dark brown tail sprouted from his back, fluffing out, and streaking a light tan. His chin elongated into a snout, and his teeth sharpened into points. The fur on the underside of his mouth turned white, and dark brown highlights streaked through the lighter hair.

The brunette fell to the ground as a red wolf, which stared up at him with large, bright brown eyes. Remus smiled down at the wolf before looking back at Tir.

"Does your wolf ever feel threatened by Maril in this form?"

"Um, n-no."

"Good; do you trust him to be a member of your pack?"

"Yes."

"Good. For now, Tir, you should let Maril come with you during your transformations if you want her to be. Only let someone be with you that you trust completely. You will be too vulnerable during your transformations to allow for any wavering in trust."

"Y-yes, sir." He smiled as Maril turned back into a human.

"And Maril," he said with a serious expression, "the first time will be the hardest for the wolf to accept you. He will try to intimidate you and you cannot allow that. However do not try to intimidate him back. You must establish yourself as an equal, not someone below him or above him, lest he attack you, alright?"

"Yeah; thanks, Mr. Lupin." Maril muttered.

"Call me Remus. I have forms for whether or not you feel you may need to come see me outside of school, that myself and the headmaster need to sign, if either of you would like them."

"Y-yes, sir." Remus handed one to each of them and the two boys made their way out.

"Good luck, you two!" he called after them. They thanked him as they slipped back down through the entrance. It was only a few more minutes after their departure that a shrill bell sounded throughout the small tower room, and Remus took that as his time to leave. He was packing up all of his things when suddenly the door burst open. He jerked around to see a redheaded girl doubled over behind him, trying to catch her breath. Once she did, she took a deep breath and immediately started to belt out her apology, looking up at Remus with wide blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Lupin! I was tutoring for a class and I tried to run all the way here so that I could make it, but when I got done it was only about ten minutes before the bell rang and I can't apparate anywhere because I don't have my license; I mean I'm only a fifth year and-!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Remus cut him off, holding his hands up, "It's alright. I can see you tomorrow, if you would like. Or you can get one of these forms," Remus picked up the release form, "And get it signed by Talnus and myself to come see me at my home."

"O-oh! Thanks so much, Mr. Lupin!"

"Remus," Remus assured as he tried not to laugh at the hyper redhead. He was cut short however when the girl suddenly hugged him vigorously, knocking the wind temporarily out of him, before grabbing the form and darting off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Lupin!" She shouted as she ran off to make it to her next class.

The werewolf shook his head as he watched her practically trip over herself to leave the room. Boy he was going to have a time with the hyper-active werewolf.

He shook his head and gathered all of his things, apparating out of the room with a pop.

* * *

Harry walked slowly to his third period, admittedly trying to draw this out as long as possible. He wanted to see Nar, but he was nervous about seeing him after the little incident at lunch. For now he was ambling toward the COMC building, casually enjoying the scenery as he tried to rein in his panic. Hedwig hooted softly at him in comfort from her cage and Harry glanced down at her gratefully.

He barely noticed the scenery as he walked down the dirt path, and before he knew it, he was in front of the quaint little building outside of the castle. It looked more like a house than a school building, and he supposed it was because Nar actually lived there as well as taught there. It was two-story cottage made of a light brown wood, with a glass menagerie connected to it like a sunroom. The bottom floor had a small wooden door that someone the size of Hagrid would have been hard-pressed to fit through. There was a bench outside and greenery running along the sides of the path to the front door, and even creeping up the sides of the house. Beside the door was a huge, paned bay-window, jutting out from wall about a foot. Harry could see chairs lined up like a classroom through it, and some of the seats were filled. He could also see Nar standing at the front of the class, getting his things together as the students filed in.

The top floor had two windows the bottom floor's one and they were both about half the size of the bay window. A dark brown, shingled roof was on top, hanging over the front door as an eave that gave a little bit of shade right near the door.

All in all it was an adorable building, at least from the outside.

Hearing noise further up the path, Harry turned to see more students coming toward the building. Well, might as well go in, Harry sighed mentally. He mustered up about as much courage as he could and walked up to the front door. Taking a deep breath, he entered.

The door led to a small room where the students had deposited their coats onto little hooks. To the left was a small door with a sign that had the professor's name on it. Apparently that was the way up to the living space above them. To the right was a hallway that led into the classroom. He walked in quickly so as to get out of the way of the students coming in. Upon entering, he noticed that some of the students had started to whisper about him, staring or glancing at him. Already conditioned against gossip, he tuned them out, ignoring the confused and longing stares of some of the students, and he walked to the figure at the front of the class. Nar was bent, looking for something in his bag, when Harry walked nervously up to him. He cleared his throat and began.

"Um, Professor Elenion?" he ventured. The elf froze suddenly and slowly turned around after a pause. His green eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"H-harry Potter?" He shook his head to shake himself out of his stupor, pushing a smile onto his face. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm actually here to be your teacher's assistant, professor." The elf froze again in surprise.

"My…assistant?" God the fates seriously loved to mess with him, didn't they? Forcing him to endure torment with Harry here every single day for a whole year was just cruel. He sighed and offered a smile again, this one sort of pained. Harry gave him a confused look.

"Right, well, I suppose I should tell you your duties as my assistant. Follow me." He waved Harry over to his desk which sat caddy-cornered against the wall, with a hat and coat hanger next to it. A green cloak hung from the top hook. The desk was covered in neat stacks of papers and books. A cushioned chair was behind the wooden desk. It was situated right in front of another window that let in light from outside. There was a shelf against the wall in front of the window that was full of books.

"If you like, I can place your owl on the window sill back there, so she can get some sun." Nar smiled down at the owl, who hooted softly in appreciation. Harry was surprised that Nar had known Hedwig's gender from a single look, but he chalked that up to an elf's natural affinity with animals that Talnus had mentioned.

"Thanks." Harry gave Hedwig's cage to the elf. Nar walked around the desk and placed the golden cage on his sill.

"Is it alright if I let her out?"

"Yeah, sure; she'd love that." Harry smiled as he watched the elf undo the gate and let the snowy owl. She fluttered out and hopped onto the sill herself. She hopped around a little and then cooed in delight.

"She's beautiful." Nar smiled at him. Harry smiled happily back. "Right, back to business." He turned to Harry and started in.

"Now, for this job, your main duty will be to help the students with taking care of the creatures. Starting next week, once you get the hang of your classes, I would like you to come by at the end of the day to feed the animals. I will teach you how to take care of other animals that I know are not taken care of overseas. Will that be too much of a hassle?"

"No, of course not." Another smile came on his face. Harry chuckled mentally – the elf loved to smile it seemed.

"Good; for some of the creatures, like the ones too big to fit in the menagerie, they will be covered in class. I will do the teaching and you will be the one mainly grading their work, so some of the information you will be required to learn yourself. Every month I have to do an assessment of what you're learning, but those will be the only tests you will be taking throughout the course."

"Alright, sounds good to me."

"Good. As for the students, most of them are third years. However, there are some second years that have been allowed to take this course."

"Second years?"

"Yes; they have all shown some exemplary work in the intermediate courses that deal with animals. After an examination by me and the headmaster, they have been allowed to take this course. However, for the next week we have been charged with the task of evaluating them. If they show any sort of immaturity that could harm themselves or the animals they will be forced to drop the class and wait until next year. I have a list of names of students to watch for – but don't let them know. We don't want to put pressure on them; that would surely make them more likely to mess up."

Nar handed Harry a list of names of the second years.

"Alright, I'll make sure to keep an eye on them."

"Do you have a book to study from?"

"Yes, there is one; that guide to magical creatures that was on the list."

"That one should do; however, if you ever find that book lacking there are more on the shelf over here that are free for you to use." The elf motioned toward the shelf behind his desk.

"Thank you, Professor." To be honest he couldn't wait to learn more about magical creatures.

Nar watched a bright smile spread across Harry's handsome face. His heart skipped in his chest and warmth spread throughout his stomach, which rose to his cheeks and turned his pale skin pink.

"You-you're welcome," Nar stammered and looked away suddenly, noticing that the class had all but filed in. He looked back at Harry with a nervous smile. "The children are here, so class is in session. For now you can sit here and o-observe. There's a chair over there for you to use." He motioned toward the chair beside his desk and walked around Harry to the front of the class.

Harry sighed softly, noticing the elf's nervousness around him – was it because of what had happened at lunch, or because of something else? He wondered if the book he'd read earlier about elves would help. There had to be a passage somewhere in there that would explain why Nar was so shy around him.

Suddenly, a single sentence of the passage sprung into his mind.

"Elves mate for life, and they will know their mate at first sight."

Harry's gaze swung to Nar with a new realization. Could he be Nar's mate? That would explain the shyness the elf always had around him, and the reason why he blushed so much – Harry had originally thought it was a part of the elf's nature, but maybe it was much more than that…

But that still didn't explain the attraction he felt – the draw that pulled him to the other stronger than anyone ever had before. He didn't know if the bond between mates worked both ways, but if so, then that would explain some things. However, he definitely didn't want to have his love life planned out by fate of all things, especially since fate had been so good to him the last eighteen years of his life.

But…wouldn't that hurt Nar if he backed off? He was his mate, the only person that Nar could be with – ever. It would be cruel to not give him a chance – he was attracted to the elf already. But, hell, could they even really do anything about it? If he allowed their relationship to progress further, then Nar would definitely be a target for Voldemort – the chance was even more likely now that there was the possibility that he was Nar's mate, which could mean that he would become the most important person in Harry's life. Not to mention there had to be some sort of guilt on Nar's part for being mated to a student of all people…at least he wasn't underage or anything. But still, there was supposed to be an unwritten contract between teachers and students that drew a line at having a relationship between them. And if Nar was truly old enough to have a mate, that meant he had to be over two centuries old; he had probably been teaching longer than Harry had been alive, and therefore the fact that he was made the mate of a student had to be confounding and painful.

A human – and therefore mortal – student at that…

Wide green eyes turned to the elf at the front of classroom, seeing the smiling teacher in a completely new light. His smile seemed so sad…so resigned to the destiny fate had given him. Harry sighed softly.

Fate was an idiot.

* * *

Hermione glanced at the room around her in bored, mainly focusing on the students. They sat in partners, supposedly because the teacher wanted to have built in partners for projects. Most of the students weren't even doing their work. The teacher was reading the syllabus for the class – he was on the last page, thank Merlin – which she had already completed minutes before. The teacher, Professor Windstream, was an old man with a diminutive figure and more hair on his face than there was on his head. He was reading each word agonizingly slow, peering at the page a foot in front of him like it was one hundred feet away. He was dressed loosely for a teacher – his tie was crooked and loose, his shirt buttoned incorrectly, and his pants wrinkled and baggy – and he stood with horrible posture in the front of the class.

Many of the students completely ignored his droning voice, choosing to either talk to the people around them or absent-mindedly doodle on the paper they had gotten out for notes. Hermione was one of the few who had lasted longer than most, but even she had her limits. Besides, and she chalked that up to not being in school for two years, she found herself running out of patience for boring teachers. All they had made her do in all of her classes was boring grunt work – she wanted to actually do something! Not just sit here surrounded by the soft snores and quiet whispers of a class that was supposed to be interesting.

She sighed loudly, and a soft chuckle came from her right. She turned to see her partner, a blonde with green eyes and his hand over his mouth. He blushed when she noticed his chuckle, looking away. On the table in front of him sat a very small owl, which looked to be asleep as well. Its large eyes, framed by feathers, were closed tightly, and its little chest puffed and deflated with each breath. Its feathers were a light tan on the bottom, flecked with white, and were a dark brown on top, flecked with tan. She was surprised Athena hadn't done anything about the small thing, but she guessed the cat had learned her lesson with Hedwig. Besides, Athena had already fallen asleep and would have looked like a stone statue of a cat on her desk if not for the random flicking of her ears every few seconds as she dreamt.

"Sorry," he said shyly, "It's just…you're bored, too, huh?" He asked softly, glancing at the teacher. She smiled slightly and nodded. The blonde held out his hand with another small smile.

"I'm Tir Johnson; you?" She took the offered hand with a smile.

"Hermione Granger." She glanced at the bird again. "What kind of owl is that?"

"Her? She's an elf owl." He gently scratched her head with one finger.

"She's so tiny; how does she carry mail when she's that small?" Tir smiled, his confidence apparently gathering now that they had broken the ice.

"Well, if it's too big I shrink it, but usually she fine. She's stronger than she looks."

"Ah."

"So, you're from Britain, huh?" Hermione started at the question. He must have noticed, because he immediately explained, "I noticed the accent."

"Oh, right; well, yes, I am."

"That's funny; I met someone from England earlier today…you wouldn't happen to know a Remus Lupin, would you?" Hermione laughed quietly.

"Yes, actually; he's my guardian." Tir's eyes widened.

"Oh, so he's like father to you?"

"Oh, yes." The blonde nodded, looking away suddenly. "Is something wrong?"

Tir's gaze shot back to her, another blush on his face. He pushed the blush back and offered a small smile, trying (and failing) to reassure her.

"No, I'm fine." Hermione gave him a look, clearly not believing him, but she didn't press. She had just met him; it would be rude to pry.

"So who is she?" Tir motioned to Athena. Hermione sighed mentally (what was with guys changing the subject on her today?) and took his bait.

"That's my familiar, Athena."

"She's pretty big-boned for a simple house cat. She's beautiful, though." Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, she's one-fourth bobcat, from what the pet store said. And thanks," Hermione petted her gently, "She would really appreciate it if she heard you say that." The blonde laughed softly.

"Yeah, I bet." Hermione and Tir descended into a companionable silence. The blonde boy had a very friendly and gentle air about him, and she found him easy to talk to. He was very pretty for a boy – however, he looked old for his age, but he had to be only a year or two younger than her. It was like he had aged faster than he should have – and like he was wiser than his years. He was slim and didn't seem to have much muscle on his lean form – the fact that he looked very thin didn't help much.

Now that she thought about it, he reminded her of the Remus she had seen in pictures the last two Marauders had kept from their Hogwarts days. The brunette had been thin, seemed much older than he was, had a mild temperament, and had been sort of shy around others.

Hadn't Tir mentioned that he had met Remus?

"Tir," she said softly, "You're a werewolf, aren't you?" the blonde jerked at her question.

"Wha-how did you know?"

"I just put two and two together – Remus was only seeing students who were werewolves, you know." Tir nodded and sighed.

"Yes, I am a werewolf." He seemed almost sheepish when he said it – but that didn't make sense. This was America, right? Werewolves were respected here – they had rights here. So why was he so shy about it? Apparently there was more to the blonde than met the eye.

"Alright, Class," a slow voice yanked them away from their conversation, "We will begin the lesson now. Everyone take out your paper and pencils, so we can begin." There was collective groan throughout the class, excluding Hermione and Tir, who glanced at one another.

"Finally, something to do," the blonde hissed to her in bemusement. She smiled wryly back, her gaze lingering on the younger one for a moment longer. He was hiding something, she knew that much. But she wouldn't worry about it. She shouldn't even be trying to be friend with him anyway – at least not while there was still a war raging under the Americans' very noses.

She needed to stay distant, just as they had all silently agreed, without letting anyone catch wind of their real reason to be here. However, it was hard to do. She wasn't naturally a distant person, though her know-it-all attitude had made it hard for her to make friends when she was younger.

But, for the sake of her world, she would have to try.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I tried to make Harry seem conflicted with his emotions for Nar as well as his purpose for being there, but I don't know if I did a good job…I'll have to read some angst fics or something to get the tone right. Hope you guys liked it anyhow.

I know this chapter was long and I sort of cranked it all out at once, so I may have made some mistakes. If you guys find any, feel free to tell me.

Read and Review please!


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you all for your reviews and follows, and faves! I feel so loved! Also, there are some of you who asked for me to send you the website for that rune site, but do not have the pm message feature. Unfortunately, I can't send it to you if you don't have the message system. So, I'm going to cave and put it in the chapter. All of you who want to know what it is, go check chapter 17!

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Beta: harryfan160889

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_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_She needed to stay distant, just as they had all silently agreed, without letting anyone catch wind of their real reason to be here. However, it was hard to do. She wasn't naturally a distant person, though her know-it-all attitude had made it hard for her to make friends when she was younger._

_But, for the sake of her world, she would have to try._

* * *

_Chapter 19: Curiosis_

Neville walked slowly — agonizingly slowly — through Diagon Alley toward his destination. The faster he got to it, the faster he would have to deal with the most horrible creature in the United Kingdom. Who or what was this horrid creature, you ask?

_Ginny Weasley_.

Now, he knew he was overreacting about having to go on a date with Ginny, but he'd heard about her dates with Dean Thomas – from the man himself – and they had not been very promising. Why he had dealt with Ginny for so long, he couldn't be sure.

He knew for a fact that while Ginny had been dating Dean she had been trying to win over Harry. He hadn't told Harry or Dean about the double-cross – especially since it had been so long since it had occurred – because, even though he felt sort of bad for the both of them, he hadn't wanted to get involved, although he had secretly been hoping the entire time that she would be found out. However, it had never happened, to his chagrin.

So why was a girl who was apparently pretty enough or tricky enough to snag both Dean Thomas and Harry Potter willing going out on a date with him?

That thought had occurred to him more than once these past few days since Luna had convinced (read: _forced_) him to finally go on this sham of a date. He had almost backed out at the last second, but Luna had finally won him over – but not, thankfully, because she was trying to set the two of them up. She had finally explained, out of earshot of Augusta, that she wanted him to go with Ginny to pry information from her. It was wrong, and probably going to get them in trouble if they got caught, but they needed eyes and ears in Dumbledore's inner circle. If they had to manipulate Ginny to do it, then so be it. Besides, it was only fair that they pushed back; both of them had become aware of the answer to his earlier question fairly quickly — she was there to use Neville to get information on Harry's whereabouts.

The funny part, however, was that he and Luna really _didn't _know where Harry was. All they knew, for their safety – as Harry had explained in his letter – was that he and Hermione were going a school in America. Which school, though, was anyone's guess. America was bigger than most of the main European wizarding countries combined, and they had just about as many schools, so even if the Order or Dumbledore found out that tidbit of information, it would barely help them at all. The ones who really _could_ know were the twins, but the Order had sent Ginny here, most likely thinking that Neville would crack when faced with a pretty girl.

Boy, were they _wrong_.

However, Neville didn't think he could be a spy. He had never been subtle, or suave, and he certainly had no patience for the redhead. He didn't know if he could bring himself to spend more than one date with her, especially one he knew was a fake for both sides. If he had to become her – he shuddered at the thought – boyfriend, he didn't think he could handle it.

When he arrived at the place – it was a new restaurant, recently built, called _Spice and Salts_, a homey restaurant known for its dim lighting, good food, and general romantic feel among wizarding couples looking for a nice place to eat – Ginny was standing out front. She walked over once she spotted him. She was wearing a silky, sleeve-less black dress which hugged her curves nicely. There was a black sash around her waist, and the dress came down to just above her knees, billowing out in slight creases. He was actually quite proud that she had all of her…_assets_ covered, but he supposed she was trying to be as subtle about her manipulations as possible. However, he was surprised that she had pulled the "little black dress," as muggle fashion magazines called it – no, he didn't read them, but Luna did every once in a while – out so early in their "relationship."

She wanted to appear serious about their relationship without it being too obvious where she wanted it to go. _Clever_, he mused silently.

"Hello, Neville; I'm glad you came."

"Of course I came, Ginny," He said – with as little sarcasm as he could manage and trying for the shy, sheepish way he had spoken while he had been at Hogwarts – "because I was," _Not_, "excited to see what would happen, and wanted to," _run as far away from you as possible_, "see you again." He plastered a smile onto his face, trying not to let her realize that he had practically forced the words out of his mouth. Every word that came out made him feel like he was betraying Luna somehow, though they weren't even together.

Also, he didn't want Ginny – and Dumbledore by extension – to realize just how much he had changed in the last two years. He had become downright cynical to most people and had developed a very dry sense of humor about most things. The only time he ever reverted to the old Neville subconsciously was when he was around Luna. The blonde had joked once that he could have been Slytherin with the way he viewed most things. He just hoped she would see that little episode at Dumbledore's office as a fluke.

"Oh," she said, a smile pulling her mouth in two directions, "That's good. You didn't seem very excited at St. Mungo's."

"That was because I was too shy to say how I felt about you," he answered with a sheepish smile, glad that he could actually tell the truth – a little out of context, of course – which made him feel much better. He really _was_ too shy (or too nice) to say how he felt about her; however, _what_ he felt was most definitely different than what she probably_assumed _he felt.

"I'm flattered, Neville," she purred, raking her eyes over him, "You look nice tonight." Neville nearly rolled his eyes at the slight surprise he had heard in her voice. Yes, damn it, Neville Longbottom cleaned up well. Though Luna had helped a bit, he was the one who had picked out most of it. He had gone for a look that was sort of casual formal look that fit his attitude well, he believed.

He was wearing a black dress suit jacket with a blank black button-up beneath it. A loose, deep blue tie, speckled with black, hung around his neck, the ends askew as they fell down to his stomach. He was wearing tight black jeans and black shoes. He had specifically chosen to wear a tie that was Ravenclaw blue in a fit of dry humor about being forced by_Luna_ to go on a date with _Ginny_. He wondered briefly if the redhead would catch it. He had also made sure to at least _try_ to do something with his hair, though there wasn't much to do with it and he had had to use a spell from a hairdresser to arrange it. He had been a little nervous about doing it – he didn't have the best track record with new spells – but it had turned out nicely. His hair looked healthier than he ever remembered and the style he now had – his hair was now cut so that his shaggy hair actually accentuated his face – fit him better than the ones his grandmother had chosen for him when he had been in school.

For once in his life, Neville felt like he looked _good_. The reactions of his grandmother, Luna and now Ginny only solidified that fact. His Gran had been – for once – startled into silence when he had shown off this outfit at the manor; the look of impress on her face when she saw him had greatly bolstered his confidence. Luna's small, proud smile had only made it better. And now, Ginny's look of smoldering appreciation just sealed the deal.

_Yes, world_, he thought wryly, _Neville Longbottom has sex appeal_.

It had taken him years to find it, but better late than never, right?

"Thank you, Ginny; now, should we go?" he said nervously, faltering for a moment, not knowing what to do, and then offered his arm at the last second, before she would get annoyed, which the redhead gladly took.

He walked her inside and then to the hostess' podium. A pretty brunette witch greeted them with a small smile.

"Welcome to Spice and Salts; just two, I see?" the two nodded. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, ma'am; it should be under Longbottom." She checked the list and nodded when she saw their name. She grabbed two menus and looked back up at them.

"Alright, if you would follow me please." She led them to the back, up a small flight of stairs and then to a table out of view of the front, next to the large window that spanned the back of the restaurant. It was charmed to show only what sort of landscape the customers wanted to see – it looked out at a back alley until they sat down. The moment their bottoms hit the chair, the scenery changed into a black, starry sky that looked over a distant city lit up a bright orange. It rested on a pier, with the black waters lapping gently against the wooden poles holding it up. The moon in the sky reflected off the waters and made the ocean shine a gentle silver. It was a beautiful scene, and he was surprised that such a calm scene had shown when the two of them were mixed.

Before conversation could be brought up again, a waiter came by and asked for their drinks. They both ordered water and he walked away, leaving space for them to finally talk.

"So, Neville, how have you been since I last saw you?" Neville swallowed and offered a nervous smile.

"Um, good." She smiled and looked out at the window.

"Good." Conversation died out and the waiter came back. They asked for a little more time, as neither of them had looked at the menu yet. After some small talk about what they wanted, the waiter finally returned and took their order.

Silence reined supreme – Neville was pretty sure that was a giant sign that this dating was crashing fast – until Ginny broke by suddenly asking, "Are you sure you've been alright?" he must have seemed surprised at her question because she added, "I remembered there was a little tension when we met at Hogwarts, and I wanted to make sure you and-" she paused and swallowed, "_Luna _were doing well."

"Um, yes; why wouldn't we be?" her face took on an apologetic look.

"Well, Dumbledore's age has been getting to him recently; he's been saying things he doesn't mean. I didn't want any of you to take what had happened the wrong way and start thinking that you couldn't trust the Order anymore." He resisted the urge to say that he had stopped trusting the Order long before that little incident, but he held it in.

"No, we're fine; in fact, I am thinking about taking up Dumbledore's offer to take over as the Herbology professor."

The redhead seemed to perk up when he said that. Of course, it wasn't the truth; Dumbledore had offered that position to him the year before and he had given an indefinite answer; he knew that it was merely a ploy to have Neville once again under his thumb to brainwash him. From what he had heard, the class was still being taught by Professor Sprout, who was apparently more than happy to give up her spot if Neville was the one taking it over, but he had no intention of taking it as long as Dumbledore remained the headmaster.

"That's wonderful news, Neville! I know that you would do _wonderfully _in that post." She seemed relieved that he had said that and he almost snorted at how easily it was to appease her. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard…

"Yes, I do believe I will, Ginny," He said good-naturedly. The redhead offered a smile; however, her eyes were searching.

"So," he cut in, before she could ask more questions, "How have you been since the last time we saw each other, Ginny?"

"Fine, thank you; just yesterday I got to go out shopping-" Neville breathed an inner sigh of relief when he had finally gotten her off of the subject of himself or anyone else. If there was one thing she loved to talk about, it was herself.

Half-way through her self-centered tangent, the waiter returned, giving him something to do besides listen to her. However, the food didn't slow her down whatsoever; she just kept going without missing a beat. He had never realized how much the girl could talk – but he also realized that he had never _wanted_ to know.

He sipped at the soup he had ordered, looking everywhere but his date. He seriously hoped something happened besides sitting here and listening to the redhead, but it didn't look like he was going to have much luck. He sighed softly – or so he thought.

"Neville, am I boring you?" He started at the question from the witch.

"Um, n-no; just…_thinking_." She raised a brow at his sheepish smile. She seemed to be reluctantly accepting his excuse, but Neville wasn't going to let his guard down. Though Ginny wanted everyone to believe she was this airheaded, sweet young girl who had only naïve desires, he knew that beneath all that ditz was a mind as sharp as a snake – he wouldn't put it past her to use legilimency on him.

He knew she had taken a mandatory crash course on legilimency and occulmency from the Order after Harry's imprisonment; the Order had wanted to prevent Death Eaters attacks on them – they would be on the rise now that the only person who could kill their leader was unable to do anything – and they had enlisted Severus Snape as the instructor. The man was the best the wizarding world had ever seen at both occulmency and legilimency, with the exception of the Dark Lord. And as much as he hated to compliment his least favorite teacher, he knew that with Snape's skills she had to have learned _something_ worth-while. The fact that she was here was proof of that. The Order had been damn near _paranoid_ about a mental attack from Death Eaters and hadn't allowed any of their younger students to go outside Hogwarts until they were proficient enough in both subjects.

Though he and Luna had been taught by his grandmother – who may not be as good as Snape, but was powerful in her own right – he had a feeling he could take her if she tried. He had worked the hardest at it, since it was more likely that they would come after the weakest link (i.e. _him_) first, so all his training had to add up to something, right?

"Oh?" She said softly, her voice falsely concerned, "About what?"

He suddenly felt a tickle at the back of his skull. He recognized it as a wandless, nonverbal _Legilimens_ – so she really was going to try it?

_Alright_, he thought, _bring it on_.

"Nothing – it's not important," He said quickly, trying to bait her into prying while at the same time pushing all thoughts of what he _did_ know of Harry away. He gave her a little resistance at first, enough to make her think it was instinctive, and she backed off. After a few minutes, though, she tried again. This time, it was more subtle, so subtle that he almost didn't feel it. He purposefully put the thoughts of his worry for Harry and his parents – both of which weren't faked in the slightest – at the forefront, hiding his feelings for Luna, the letter from Harry, and her plan behind a mental brick wall, so far down in his conscious he suspected it would take even Severus Snape more than a few minutes to find – and that said nothing about breaking through the shield itself.

Her brow creased, her food forgotten, and she kept eye contact with him. Neville allowed for a moment, and then looked down at his hands, seemingly in a bout of shyness. He could feel her _Legilimens_ weaken, but it didn't dissipate.

"Is something wrong? You seem worried."

"Hm?" She blinked, looking slightly disappointed, "Oh, I am worried, Nev." Where the hell did that nickname come from? "You seem concerned yourself. Is it about Harry?" He glanced at her and then away, seemingly debating something before giving in.

"Yes," he sighed finally, "I'm worried about him. I know Azkaban had to have been tough for him, so I can only imagine how he's doing now."

"He hasn't told you?" He shook his head, trying to think about how much of a lie that was. She was still in his head, after all. "Oh, you poor thing!" She murmured as she gently cupped his cheek – he resisted the urge to shudder.

"Thanks for your concern, Ginny."

"I just…" she started, "I just can't believe he wouldn't tell you anything – I mean, you were one of the ones who supported him the entire time!" He could feel her trying to check if he was lying. He brought forth a memory – of him talking with his grandmother about Harry's departure. It was out of context, and he had made sure to cut it short at when he said that Harry was in America. He had made sure to show her the part where he told his Gran that he had no idea where Harry was – she didn't need to know that he had just told his Gran that Harry was in going to an American school.

"Yeah…" He said hesitantly. He wasn't trying to down Harry, just distract her. "But he didn't; I think he didn't want to be caught. I can understand that."

"Oh, yeah," she said flatly, as if completely disappointed. Apparently she hadn't found what she was looking for. "Well," she looked down at her food. "How about we get the check, alright?" he raised his brow at the abrupt end to their date and her concern.

"Oh, ok." He called the waiter over and quickly paid for the check – in cash, which he could tell surprised Ginny. They walked out, Ginny quickly leading the way, and entered the main road to Diagon Alley. The shops were starting to close, and the only lights he could really see were the ones farther away, in the branch of Knocturn Alley. It only made sense that their shops would still be open. The street lamps had started to glow a soft orange and he knew they had to go soon.

"Well, I had a good time tonight, Ginny-"

"Oh, yeah; me too, Neville. See ya later." She waved him off and disappeared. Neville stared at the spot she had been in, a little miffed at her brush off. Even if the date had been fake, she still could have had the _decency_ at least give him a proper good night. Well, the only thing he had accomplished had been getting Dumbledore off his track, a feeling of indignation and a bad taste in his mouth.

_Lovely_.

He certainly had a story to tell Luna tonight.

* * *

Severus walked into the office of one Albus Dumbledore, his usual devil-may-care mask haphazardly in place. It had been a tough night for him, full of nightmares of squirming rats and laughing, coiling snakes taunting him endlessly. He didn't want to deal with this old coot, but it was expected of him.

"Ah, Severus," Albus said delightedly the moment he entered, placing his glasses on the table, "Please, sit."

"Albus," the potions' master muttered, occupying the chair in front of the headmaster.

"So what news do you have for me?" Severus sighed.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead." Albus's eyebrows rose.

"Did the Dark Lord kill him?" Severus paused for a moment, and then answered.

"Yes; also, I believe he is planning something."

"What makes you say that?"

"He hasn't been using his link with the Potter brat and he called Lestrange and Lady Malfoy aside after the meeting." Albus's face became troubled.

"Oh? And not Lucius?"

"No, not Lucius – why, I am not sure," he lied. He had an inkling of why Voldemort would call those two aside; he had seen the look on his pale face when he had noticed the exchange between himself and Lucius. He had a feeling it had something to do with that, as the Dark Lord had not used Narcissa for much besides instilling a loyalty to him into Draco as a child. Besides that, the lady had been relatively safe from his manipulations.

Now the Dark Lord had seen a way to integrate her into his dealings. He had found the weakness in their relationship and was going to use it. He most likely was aiming to either cripple Lucius or further bring him and Draco under his power. He knew how much Draco stilled loved his mother, in his own way, although he had accepted his relationship with Lucius – his mindset was like that of a child of divorcees who had accepted his father's new lover, but still loved his mother as well (except for the fact that they had not divorced). Narcissa was probably just the insurance of the Malfoys' loyalty.

For him, though, he still wanted to save Narcissa from any manipulations of the Dark Lord, even if he had stolen her husband. She was still a close friend of his and he still felt loyal to her despite everything, and he didn't want her in the line of fire.

As for Bellatrix well – he would just say he felt _something_ for her, but it was most certainly _not_ anything good.

"Are you alright, Severus?" Albus's words snapped him out of his reverie.

"Yes, Albus, I'm fine."

"You know you can tell me anything, right, Severus?" A warm smile spread across the headmaster's face, and Severus wanted to sneer. He merely snorted, which he had a feeling Dumbledore had expected.

Suddenly the door opened and both men turned to see who had entered. It was the youngest Weasley; she looked upset.

"Ginerva, what a surprise! Back so soon from your date with Neville?" Severus scoffed again.

"You went to dinner with _Longbottom_?" Severus muttered. The redhead sent him a little glare.

"Yes," She snapped, before looking to the headmaster, whining, "And he doesn't know _anything_!" Albus seemed surprised.

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing; I even tried legilimency on him and I couldn't find anything." Severus stared at her in shock. The weasellete had used _Legilimens_ on Longbottom illegally? He looked over at Albus, fully expecting to see disappointment on his face, but he was wrong. Dumbledore looked thoughtful and frustrated, not stern. What was happening?

"Alright, Ginerva, you did your best; I want you to continue to see Longbottom; maybe he is trickier than we thought. And you may be able to get a look into Luna's mind as well, if you get close enough to him." he nodded, seemingly pleased, "Alright, you may go." He waved her off, and she left with a nod. Neither of them seemed to care that he had just heard their entire conversation.

When she was gone, the raven looked at Dumbledore incredulously.

"You sent _Ginny Weasley_ to spy on _Longbottom_?" Albus blinked.

"Why, of course! We can't let them get away; you see, they may know where Harry is, and we must find our savior, musn't we?" Severus stared at Dumbledore in horror, seeing a look in those twinkling eyes that he never expected to see.

The look of a madman.

Almost as if on cue, a soft trill of sadness alerted him. He looked over to see Fawkes. Large, dark eyes stared at him imploringly. His eyes widened. The phoenix was suffering under a corrupted bond with Albus. His feathers had become dark and they drooped; some had even fallen and withered at his feet, turning a nasty black as opposed to their former, brilliant red. Fawkes wanted out, but he could see that the bird was clinging to the hope that the old Albus was still there. The fact that the bird hadn't left yet was proof of that.

A thought struck him, and a silent promise showed in his eyes. Fawkes seemed to understand his thoughts, trilling again and nodding almost unnoticeably.

He had just found a way to garner the help of Potter's friends and free the suffering bird in one fell swoop. He just needed to find the time to carry his plan out.

"I must go, Albus," Severus said suddenly, tearing his eyes away from the bird, "I have things to attend to."

"Of course, Severus." The potions' master rose and made for the door. "Oh and Severus?" He turned back.

"If there's anything left that you remember, please come tell me." Severus nodded slowly.

Albus had just solved his problem. The old man wouldn't know what hit him.

"Of course." He nodded and left. He needed to contact Draco and get him to call off his owl.

He had found a better way.

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A/N: Alright, so I know this is really short; I'm sorry! But these are the only parts I wanted to mention right now; they will get longer in the future, I promise!

Also, I am a tried-and-true Neville Longbottom fangirl and, dammit, Nev needs more love! There are not enough fics concerning him, if you ask me, and therefore I have resigned myself to make my Nev as awesome as possible, as he so rightly deserves ;)

Title means "Spy"

Read and Review please!


	20. Chapter 20

The twentieth chapter! YAY! This is the longest story I have ever written. I feel so accomplished – of course I couldn't have done it without all your wonderful reviews or my amazing beta.

Read on, lovelies!

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beta: harryfan160889

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_Well, the only thing he had accomplished had been getting Dumbledore off his track, a feeling of indignation and a bad taste in his mouth._

_Lovely._

_He certainly had a story to tell Luna tonight._

* * *

_Albus had just solved his problem. The old man wouldn't know what hit him._

_"Of course." He nodded and left. He needed to contact Draco and get him to call off his owl._

_He had found a better way._

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_Chapter 20: Necessitudo_

Fourth period passed by in a blur for Harry – all he wanted to do was go home and find the book about elves. He was pretty sure he had grabbed it before they left, so he could check it. He desperately needed to know what was happening to him, to Nar, and what the possible outcome could be depending on what he chose to do about it.

However, that had to wait, since it wouldn't be wise for him to skip class on the first day of school. He vaguely remembered his teacher, Mrs. Rena Quinones, a Cajun woman from New Orleans, going over the class syllabus and handing out their personal bags of dice; each bag was made out of a smooth, silky material of various colors (Harry's was a deep bluish gray) and had seven individual dice inside, with the sides numbering from three to ten. She gave them work on the first day, which was to learn the basics of Astragalomancy, but, as it was mainly an individual assignment, she didn't mind if they worked on it later. Also, they wouldn't do any work in class on Fridays, as it was an unfavorable day for dice divination, so students could go home early, go to another class, make up work, or do homework for other classes. As far as his teacher was concerned, she was not responsible for them on Fridays, especially since most of them were seventeen and almost adults (he had been shocked to learn that in America, adulthood started at eighteen, even in the magical world, a full year after England, but it had been made clear to him why they followed the muggle system – they didn't want their students to be able to do something under the laws of wizarding America but not be able to do something in Muggle America, therefore causing some discord with the students – so they made them wait along with every other teenager across the country. However, as far as Mrs. Quinones saw it, seventeen year olds still were expected to show some inkling of responsibility).

All in all it seemed like a very relaxed class, which he was sure would be a relief for him, if not for the tumult going on in his brain; it had allowed him to mull over his situation again, which only made his earlier worries resurface. When the class had ended, he had been the first to leave, and had met Hermione in the courtyard. She looked particularly pleased, but he quickly asked her to apparate them home. Hermione seemed surprised by his unusual behavior, but agreed, quickly apparating with Harry on her arm.

When they entered the house, they met with Sirius, who was on his way to the kitchen.

"Well, it seems you two made just in time. Remus is almost done with dinner."

"Good; we'll go put our stuff up in the room and be back down." Hermione answered, while Harry merely nodded, his face still stuck in its pensive, anxious expression. Sirius noticed this as well, and looked ready to comment, but Harry ushered Hermione toward the stairs before he could say anything. Hermione followed him silently, her brows creasing in a frown. They quickly put their things away, let their animals free, and headed down the stairs shortly after for dinner.

Dinner itself was relatively silent. Harry was out of it the entire time, his head spinning with thoughts and doubts. The others tried to start small talk, but Harry either wouldn't hear them or would give short, one or two word answers that made the conversations die very quick, very pathetic deaths.

It wasn't long before Sirius had to excuse himself to go to school. He hugged them all good night and then apparated out, but not before shooting a worried look towards Harry. He resolved to ask what was wrong when he returned home; maybe then Harry would be willing to open up.

Hermione, who had had enough of his moping, waited until after Sirius left to take action. She grabbed Harry, excused herself, and dragged him up to their room behind her, ignoring the shocked and worried look of their remaining guardian. Remus, however, didn't try to stop her, merely cleaning up the plates, knowing that that if anyone could make Harry talk about what was bothering him, it would be her.

She let him go once they were inside and turned to Harry, her expression stern.

"Harry, what is wrong with you?" Harry blinked at her. For a moment, he looked like he was going to lie, but then he changed his mind at the last second. He looked away, running a hand through his long hair.

"I…don't know yet. It's really confusing and I don't know what to do about it – if it's even real or if it's just in my head…" Harry closed his eyes with a sigh, realizing he was rambling.

"Harry, does whatever it is have to do with that professor you were staring at during lunch?" he swallowed and simply nodded his head. Hermione took a deep breath and placed her hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, you know that liking a teacher will have repercussions, right?"

"I know 'Mione, but I think it's more than that; more than just _liking_ him."

"What do you mean?"

"Hold on; I think I have something that could explain it better than I can." Harry went to his desk, where the books he had brought with him that weren't textbooks were stacked. The book he was looking for was at the bottom. Once he found it, he sat down on his bed and opened it to the table of contents, waving Hermione over to sit next to him.

She gingerly sat, giving him a confused look. He ran his finger down the list, stopping at the chapter he had started on before they left, the one about elven mating rituals. Before, he had just skipped straight to the chapter, but now he wanted a specific topic – the mating bond itself. Sure enough, right underneath the chapter title was a subtitle dedicated to the subject. He flipped to the page it said.

"_Mating Bond_?" Hermione curiously read aloud. Harry nodded and started to read, Hermione followed suit, reading over Harry's shoulder.

_The mating bond is undeniably one of the most sacred bonds between magical creatures in the magical world; nearly every magical creature in the world experiences it in some form, the levels of intensity and effects differing by the type of creature. __For some, like werewolves and vampires, both of which have the lowest level of intensity in their mating bond (as not all are born that way), the bond manifests as a strong attraction that cannot be left alone; however, once they obtain their mate, they feel the same loyalty and affection for their mate as those with stronger bonds. For most, however, it is a magnetic force, pushing them toward their mate constantly until they find them._

_It is generally accepted as an unwritten contract between two beings. Although it is seen by outsiders as a way to ensure reproduction, in some cases it is the only way a creature ever finds love or experiences intimacy. It is incredibly compelling and to date there has not been a __single mating bond that has been broken by anything other than death, which is an outcome not many would willingly choose (on another note, although there is the possibility for those participating to deny their bond, the bond is technically not broken). Once a mating bond is accepted, completed, and nurtured, the two beings participating experience true __happiness, the likes of which humans, muggles and wizards alike (the few creatures in this world that are not guaranteed a mate), almost never experience by finding a lover on their own._

_Every magical creature, from the moment they are born, knows that they have a mate waiting for them (the lycanthrope and vampire, despite popular belief, are not exceptions to this rule; some are indeed born with the gene in them, since the gene can be inherited through a female parent for the lyncathrope and through both parents for the vampire; the others start a new life their potent bites and technically count as being 'born' with the knowledge – however, it usually takes the human side of the werewolf longer to realize what their affection for their mate really means, as many suppress the wolf and block out the emotions). Though it takes until they mature as a creature before they can understand it, they are all aware of it, and they all instinctively know that their mate is the perfect fit for them and that this mate is their key to true happiness. However, that is all they know. When they find their mate, under what circumstances, what sort of creature, and other sort of specifics are not privy to them._

_Some actively search for their mates; some spend their whole lives waiting patiently for their mate to come to them. Elves, in particular, are known for this. Since they are immortal and puberty comes so late for them, they are innately more patient about finding their mate. Some wait millennia; some wait centuries; some wait only a few years; some, even, meet their mate at __a very early age by some strange twist of fate._

_For the aforementioned species, which is also what I wish to focus on, the mating bond is very intense; to deny it is excruciating for them. In most cases, the elf does not see the need to deny it – although in certain societies with certain rules, there have been cases where elves have denied it for their mates' sake. This is more common when __an elf is the mate of a human, especially those from Northern Europe, where hate, mistrust, and __violence toward magical creatures are the most prevalent. If the bond is denied for too long, however, the elf will slowly deteriorate, both mentally and physically, until death or until the bond is returned._

_Some have found ways to delay the deterioration by being in the presence of their mate or maintaining some form of physical contact with them, but eventually the bond __wins over. They begin to feel unlovable, alone, neglected, and betrayed, even those who are the dominant ones in the relationship. Dominant elves are more prone to act out when they must __deny the bond, while submissive ones usually revert into themselves to cope. If the elf's non-elven mate dies before the elf recognizes that its bond is completed, the elf usually commits suicide of some form, wanting to die with some dignity and not as the pitiful shell they will become if they allow the bond to take its toll on them._

_Likewise, the denial of the bond can be detrimental to the health and sanity of the elf's mate – even for wizards and muggles. It is more common for humans to fight the bond, unnerved and indignant about anything other than themselves writing their destiny or choosing their __lover for them. However, despite their protests, they cannot fight the bond, or the magnetic draw they feel toward their mate, unless they too want to die insane. For non-elven mates, there has been an observed time that applies to them all – it takes only three months for them to be completely consumed by the bond, and only the elf can bring them back. If the elf dies before their bond is accepted, the human will be stuck in that state, forever neglecting themselves until their bodies give out._

"Wow," Hermione breathed, wanting to give a reaction but unsure of what to say. Her eyes widened as a thought suddenly hit her.

"Wait," she asked, her voice sounding overwhelmed, "Are you…that professor's… _mate_?" she sounded the words out like she wasn't quite used to them being in the same sentence, which she was not.

"I'm not sure. It seems that way – but it also seems Nar is intent upon denying the bond."

"What? Why?"

"Maybe it is because I'm human, maybe because he knows I'm from England, maybe because I'm his student – I don't know. All I know is that he hasn't mentioned it to me."

"Couldn't that mean you're not his mate?"

"No, I don't think so; if that was true why would I feel so drawn to him? The bond forces me to reciprocate, right?" she looked away, chewing on the inside of her lip for a moment. She looked like she was desperately trying to understand their situation, but it was hard for an outsider. This was a situation where you had to experience it get the impact of it. Finally, she spoke.

"This…draw you feel – is it really that intense?"

"Yes; when I'm near him, I can't think of anything but him. When I'm not around him, he still keeps coming back, like a boomerang I can't get rid of," He sighed softly, looking down at his feet, "That I don't _want_ to get rid of." The last part was said under his breath. Hermione gazed at him with a soft expression. He looked so confused and lost, like she remembered him being quite a bit when he was younger, when he found himself overwhelmed about his expected duties as the Boy-Who-Lived. She hated to see him like this; this was when he looked so childlike; so vulnerable; so much like an eighteen year old and so much less like the adult the world expected him to be.

Hermione silently wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What do you plan on doing about it?"

"I-I don't know. Do you think I should ask him?" Hermione paused for a moment.

"Harry, I want you to do whatever you feel is right. If you decide to wait for the right moment, then do so. It's your life, Harry." She wouldn't dare try to make this decision for him; far too many people had made Harry's decisions for him without asking him, almost since he had been born – she couldn't do that to him now, especially with something so important.

Harry nodded, unsure of how to go about this. He didn't want to rush into anything, but he knew he had to be with Nar – for his health, his sanity, for his future happiness. He had just barely been able to escape insanity while in Azkaban, but now he would running right back into its arms if he left the bond alone. Not only that, but there was no way to get around it – he would go insane if he didn't become Nar's mate; he couldn't beat it by simple power of will. It was an all or nothing situation – but it wasn't like the 'all' part was bad for him. He would have a loving mate, true happiness, possibly have children…

Shaking his head of those thoughts, he decided that, for now, he would simply use this time to get to know Nar. To be honest, he didn't think he was ready for a relationship so early after what happened with Ginny. He had stewed in sadness and anger for the better part of the past two years thinking about the people who had hurt him, and although Nar would be the love of his life, there was still a part of him that was afraid of opening up to a new person; of being hurt. He couldn't shake that innately cowardly part of him. So, he would take advantage of the time he had to gather some information on his future mate. Every day he would get to see him, and they could talk – and sometime soon, he would get to meet him in the mornings to feed the animals. There was enough time before the bond would kick in that he could bid his time and be with him – maybe it was cruel to leave the bond alone when he knew the outcomes, but he supposed he was only human.

"Harry, are you alright?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "Just thinking."

"You know what you need?" Curious green eyes looked to her expectantly, "You need something to get your mind off of your situation. And you know what does the trick?"

"What?" Hermione smiled widely.

"Homework." Harry groaned loudly.

"'Mione!" He whined, "Why do you have to be so responsible all the time?"

"Because if I wasn't then how would you get anything done?" She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. It hit him square in the face. "Now get up; you think that's anyway for a grown man to be acting?"

"But I'm a kid at heart!"

"I don't care! Up!" She commanded. He pouted and rose, placing his book back on his desk and grabbing his textbooks. He really only had Astrogalamancy homework left; there wasn't anything for him to do with apparition except be an over achiever and practice and he hadn't been given any work in Sigil Apps after that chapter essay in class. He could get started on his work for his assessment test in December, which would technically serve as his midterm for COMC. Nar had told him the chapters it would be covering, and if he was a responsible student, he would start on it now. However, Hermione was responsible enough for the both of them, so he would leave that to her.

A pang came with reminding himself of Nar – the assessment test was right around the end of the time limit for the bond to take over. He had a feeling that the test would be the last thing on his mind for the next three months.

If he even had a mind by then.

Shaking his head, he grabbed a piece of paper, a pencil and his textbook to get started

on what homework he did have, hoping that maybe, he would get a reprieve from his overwhelming thoughts.

Thankfully, it worked.

He rarely thought about Nar, and his Astragalomancy homework took him a lot longer than he had expected, as it was a lot more complicated than he had thought. Divination at Hogwarts had been much less work and he wasn't used to any sort of Divination besides actual visions involving some sort of student interaction. He had quickly learned that Trelawney's class didn't hold a candle to Quinones's class. By the time he was done, his brain and his body were exhausted – probably not only by the homework but the emotional overload of the day had made him tired. He laid down around nine to the sound of Hermione scribbling on her paper and slept as soundly as he could.

The next morning, after suffering through another tense meal, found him staring nervously at two very worried guardians, Sirius staring at him with his arms crossed and Remus sitting at the table with a gentle yet firm expression in his eyes. Realizing he wasn't going to be getting himself out of this any time soon, Harry steeled himself for the worst.

"I guess…you want me to tell you what happened yesterday," he said hesitantly.

"Yes. If something is wrong, please tell us; we want to help," Remus cut in gently, before Sirius could say anything. He knew Sirius meant well, but he was afraid he would start the conversation off on a bad note and not portray just how worried they really were about their adopted son. They had spent most of the night after Sirius had returned trying to figure out what was wrong with him, to the point where neither of them had gotten much sleep, afraid that Harry thought he couldn't come to them for something. However, Sirius, if he went solo, would try to force it out instead of letting Harry come to them, so they had decided that they would both approach him now so Remus could make sure he wouldn't offend Harry and have the boy completely shut them out.

Harry sighed. He could see that they both looked exhausted, probably from worrying about him, so he figured he would meet them halfway for this sort of thing.

He just wasn't sure how they would react.

"Alright; I'm glad you're sitting down for this one." Sirius and Remus shared a confused look, their brows furrowing even more.

Harry looked down, feeling a little embarrassed – how the hell was he supposed to tactfully tell his two guardians that he was mated to a _male elf_? And one of his teachers, no less! He supposed he might as well just come right out and say it.

"I-well, I believe I am the mate of a magical creature." Ok, not that straight forward, but it's a start right? Sirius stared at him in surprise; he seemed to be the only one who had no idea what Harry was talking about. Remus looked mildly surprised, but like he knew where to go now that Harry had confessed it. Hermione was probably the first person Harry had confided in, so she of course wasn't surprised. He was on his own shock-wise. He was just a human wizard; he had never even heard of magical creatures having 'mates' – especially not human ones.

"What makes you think you are someone's mate?"

"Well, I feel really drawn to him; and I read about the mating bond in one of the books in the library at Grimuald place." Remus raised a brow at that information. He had come across mating in a book once – in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library, no less – but it hadn't been very informative. All he had learned was that it was very important for the reproductive process of many creatures, that mates were always happy together, and that mating process transcended the gender confines of human society – but, no more, no less. He didn't know what mates had to go through together; he didn't know what would happen if something happened to the mate; he didn't know how they had children and what he could do to help Harry with it in the future. The passage had been very unsatisfying for his bookish side, which just about rivaled Hermione's. However, if there was another book he hadn't read that said more about it, maybe he could better understand Harry's predicament. He would have to borrow it sometime.

"Is it a he or a she?" Remus asked curiously.

"A he."

"Have you met him? As in, talked to him?"

"Um, yes, I have," Harry answered, caught off guard by Remus's easy acceptance and knowledge of the subject. He had expected it to impact the man much more; however, if what the book said was true, maybe Remus knew more than he thought; all magical creatures were supposed to know about having mate from birth – though with a werewolf the 'birth' was slightly different.

"What kind of creature is he?"

"An elf." Remus's eyebrows rose.

"That's wonderful, Harry; I bet he's beautiful," Remus said in appreciation. Harry nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, yes, he is."

"What's his name?"

"Nar Elenion. I don't know what it means; I'm pretty sure it's elven for something (1)."

Sirius stared at Remus in shock as the two conversed. How could be so calm about this? Even if this guy wasn't a magical creature and Harry wasn't his mate, Sirius would still not accept this so easily! He would not let just any guy near his son without at least getting to know him first, mate or not. Maybe it was childish, and he knew Harry could take care of himself, but this was one issue he wouldn't budge on. It was his duty as Harry's guardian, whether Harry was of age or otherwise, to make sure no one else could hurt him. And he would be damned if he let some guy waltz into Harry's life without meeting him first.

"So, how did you meet this guy? And when can we meet him?" Sirius cut in. Remus and Hermione shot him an amused look at his tone, both knowing that it was in Sirius's nature to be protective of Harry.

"Well…" Harry sighed, "He's my teacher; he teaches Care of Magic Creatures at Caliber's, so I see him every day," he said in one breath, wincing at the shocked looks of his guardians. That was certainly not what either of them had been expecting.

This phrase finally got something other than acceptance out of the werewolf. In fact, a blush had taken over his face at the subject.

"Oh," Remus said awkwardly, looking as uncertain as Harry was.

"Yeah; and I don't know about meeting him – I haven't even talked to him since I found out that I might be his mate." Sirius sighed.

"Wouldn't being with a teacher be against school rules?"

"I don't know; I've been thinking about it, and I've decided to stop by Talnus's office on Friday, since I don't have to be in my last class – I'm going to wait until I have the go-ahead from him before talking to Nar about it."

"Harry, be careful. If he's really your mate, we can't expect you to keep your identity secret, but you know what you have to do eventually," Remus said with a pained expression, placing his hand on Harry's. He hated to ruin his son's mood with reality, but it was necessary. Harry nodded, looking down.

"Trust me; I'm well aware of it." Remus nodded. He glanced at the clock on their new microwave. He started when he realized the students had only a few minutes before they had to be at school.

"Well, you two go get ready; it's almost time for school." They both nodded and slipped back up to their room, leaving the two adults to stew in the new information.

"A mate, huh?" Sirius muttered, rubbing his chin pensively.

"Poor Harry; it must be tough to have to deal with that."

"Do all magical creatures have it?" Remus glanced at him curiously, wondering where he was going with his questioning. "Even…werewolves?" he added softly after a beat. His heart hammered in his chest. He knew the werewolf loved him, but did that mean he was Remus's mate; what if one day some guy came out of nowhere and took Remus away from him? He didn't know what he would do.

Remus shot Sirius a surprised look. He knew that Moony had always felt lonely, but he had never allowed himself to understand the depth of the emotions his wolf felt. He knew he was searching for something and that he would never be happy without it, but he didn't know what it was. Every time he transformed he had felt that way, and the only time the feelings stopped was when Padfoot had come to play with him. It had become even more enhanced when his pack had been taken away from him, but the thought of never being able to see the little black dog again

had made his wolf go insane during those years when Sirius had been imprisoned – he had returned to normal the moment he realized Padfoot had been returned to him.

Maybe, his love for Sirius ran deeper than he thought.

"Yes, I believe so," Remus murmured in a soft tone, gauging Sirius's reaction. He saw a small storm form in Sirius's blue eyes; immediately he wondered what his best friend was thinking. Before he could ask, Harry and Hermione appeared again, both ready for school. Once again, Harry's clothes hung off him, and he was still dressing in slacks and a button-up. This time though his hair was down. When he didn't have it cut short and he didn't have it up, the familiar Potter mop had smoothed out to lay relatively flat on his head. It framed his face nicely even though it hadn't been cut to do so, and it also made him look older than he was. It was a good look for him.

They had their familiars with them again, they noticed.

"Well, we're off; Remus do you want to meet at the same place we met yesterday?" Hermione asked.

"Sure; I'll be there at the same time." Hermione nodded.

"See you tonight, Sirius," They chorused, receiving a raised palm in return, before Hermione apparated them to the school.

Remus sighed and rose to clean up the mess when they left, Sirius coming behind him once he saw that the wolf intended to do it alone. They worked in silence, both lost in contemplation, unknowingly mulling over the same subject.

Maybe he ought to try allowing the wolf into his consciousness; it might give him the answers he needed to understand what was going on. He just needed to find a way to do it without the transformation and to do it safely – he could probably use the room Talnus had given him when he did try it, but he wanted to find a book that would help him understand his wolf better. It would be unfair for him to mentor hundreds of werewolves about being a werewolf when he didn't even respect the wolf side of him as well.

Not to mention, if he went out to the village, he could find some clothes for Harry while he was at it.

"Sirius," he started as he turned to his friend when they were done cleaning, "I think I'm going to head out to the shops up the road for a while; do you need me to get anything?" Sirius raised a brow.

"No; are you going for anything special?"

"Just some books and maybe some clothes for Harry." Sirius groaned.

"You and your books," he teased, following Remus out of the kitchen and flopping lazily onto the couch in the living room, "Can't get enough, eh, Moony?" the wolf rolled his eyes, glad their little awkward moment was gone for now. But it was to be expected; Sirius wasn't known for being serious about anything for too long – no pun intended, of course.

"You know, maybe if you read more often, people might actually take _you_ seriously, you old mutt." Sirius simply laughed and waved him off.

"No, I'll think I'll leave that to you and 'Mione; you two read enough for the four of us combined."

"Alright; I'll see you later," Remus laughed, shaking his head as he left; he decided he would take a stroll through Mystic Ridge instead of apparate, enjoying the outdoors like he always did. Sirius watched him go, glad to see a smile on his face again.

Unfortunately, being alone left him with way too many thoughts in his head. Sleep would probably clear his mind of worry – he wouldn't be able to think about Harry and his mate, or Remus possibly having a mate, or him possibly being Remus's mate; he would simply be lost in the world of dreams, where it was not necessarily safe, but he could at least somewhat escape his problems.

For now, anyway.

A/N: Title means 'Bond/The Bond'

Read and Review please!


	21. Chapter 21

Hey my faithful readers, just wanted to say thank you for all the reviews, faves, and follows over the past week. I'm sorry this is so late - I just started college, so I've been trying to find time to work on it. It's been hard with everything going on. I'm glad that you are all still staying tuned despite my late-ness. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

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beta: harryfan160899

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**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Unfortunately, being alone left him with way too many thoughts in his head. Sleep would probably clear his mind of worry – he wouldn't be able to think about Harry and his mate, or Remus possibly having a mate, or him possibly being Remus's mate; he would simply be lost in the world of dreams, where it was not necessarily safe, but he could at least somewhat escape his problems._

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_Chapter 21: Novi Arbitrationes_

_It was a humid night; all around him were iridescent white moonflowers open to the sky overhead, which seemed to pulse with life in the darkness around it. Soft grass tickled his nape pleasantly, keeping him just awake enough to be aware of it. He sat up slowly and looked around him; he was lounging in the field behind his parents' house in his homeland. Two moons shone down overhead, reflecting off the lake in the center of the field. The night was peaceful; only the sounds of the insects could be heard communicating back and forth between one another in the pitch black. It was just like the nights he had had as a kid, sneaking out to gaze at the stars when his parents went to sleep._

_The difference was that he was much older – he hadn't been back to his homeland in months, how had he ended up here?_

_He turned at the sound of a sigh to find his beloved Harry sleeping beside him, peaceful, smiling and serene, his black hair fanning out behind his head. For a moment, he was allowed to gaze at him without hindrances. The man's pale skin shone under the moonlight, looking soft as silk. He reached a hand out to touch him but the thought that he might wake the peaceful man made him draw back. He didn't want the chance to gaze at him like this to pass. He laid himself back down to join his mate in sleep, his hand sliding into Harry's. He smiled as he felt the larger hand gently squeeze his._

_The next second, he suddenly had a feeling that something was terribly wrong._

_It was the sudden loss of warmth in Harry's hand that alarmed him. He looked over to see his mate frozen in that state of sleep, his face pale and ashen as in death. His face was still smiling, but blue veins beneath his white skin had started to appear. Suddenly, the large hand turned as cold as ice. He looked down, horrified to find Harry's hand now made of gray stone, cracked and weathered with age. He looked up to see the rest of him was the same; the blue veins were now cracks in Harry's stone face, pouring dust onto the grass. He tried to pull his hand away, only find the stone fingers clenched around them._

_There was a loud rumble and suddenly he heard a 'pop' – he looked up in horror to see a huge crack had suddenly sprouted on his mate, starting at his feet and working its way up to his neck. Suddenly the stone's eyes opened – they turned to him, gray and dull. All around them, too, the plants withered as the life was sucked out of them by some way or another; the blight which overtook them spread out from them if a wide circle as far as his eyes could see._

_Harry's hand pulled away from his to reach out to him, cupping his cheek._

_"Goodbye, Nar…" he rasped, his voice sounding like it hadn't been used in years. The arm suddenly dropped to the ground and crumbled, braking off from the main stone, and one by one all of his limbs followed suit. The statue that had been his mate turned to rubble at his side._

_A scream tore from his throat._

"_Harry, no_!"

Nar jerked up, panting and sweating. He could feel something warm and wet on his face; he lifted a hand and realized that they were tears.

He had dreamt of Harry again.

He had been dreaming of Harry ever since they met, actually; some were like the one he had just had, others were much nicer and much sweeter. He didn't know what to think about them, what they meant. A human squib – Fred? Ford?..._Freud!_ – had once said that dreams were the resolution of the mind's conflicts, so what did that say about his dreams? In some, Harry and he were together – in a beautiful peaceful place, or getting to know each other in every meanings of the word – and in others Harry abandoned him in some way – either by dying and leaving him alone or by simply walking away from him. However, in dreams like the ones he had just had, it didn't seem to be the resolution of_anything_; more like one more way for his life to crumble to pieces.

Sighing heavily, he rose from his bed, slipping on the robe resting in the chair beside it. Sunlight streamed through the small window overhead, swathing the circular room in a soft, golden glow. All of the furnishings – the bed, the dresser, the chair, and the bedside and reading tables – were all made from the same wood as the boards lining the bottom of the wall and the door to his meager foyer; the sheets were the same emerald green as the walls. The coverlet was a soft off-white with golden leaves pattern scattered all over it.

It was a simple room, meant for one person.

Or two, if they shared a bed.

He sighed at the wistful thought and made his way to take a shower, stripping and getting under the hot water when he turned it on. He ran a hand through his wet hair, running over his face to wipe away the lingering touch of sleep. He started to bathe as his thoughts strayed to the dream he had only a few moments ago.

These dreams of his were thankfully not as frequent as they could be, but they interfered with his sleep when he did have them, waking him up feeling either horrified, alone, or empty and not allowing him to go back to sleep. It had only been a week since he had met Harry and he already had it bad – he was getting to the point where he couldn't go a minute without thinking about the beautiful man. It was tiring to say the least, but he would deal with it for now. He loved Harry already and he didn't even know anything about him. He didn't know if Harry wanted to be with him, even though the bond would force him, and he didn't know how Harry would react when he found out. He knew that his mate was a goodman; he could see the light in his heart, in his aura, but he could also see a hidden pain beneath his outwardly friendly appearance.

He had been through a lot before he had come here and Nar hoped that one day his mate would trust him enough to tell him.

However, every journey began with the first step. He would to tell Harry about their connection eventually, he just didn't know when would be the best time. Of course, he would have to ask Talnus first if he could be with Harry; he didn't know the ins and outs of the school's bylaws by heart – he had learned them at the beginning of his career as a teacher, and that had been over a century ago – but maybe there was indeed a loophole that they could use to at least have a relationship; whether it was physical or not, he didn't care as long as his bond was reciprocated.

He washed the remnants of the soap out of his hair and from his body as his shower came to an end. He turned off the water and stepped out, pulling on his robe once more.

He walked to his small foyer with a pensive expression. The only time he had to talk to Talnus was the upcoming Saturday, as he was booked completely for the week. He planned on taking the class to their first trip out to the menagerie soon, and he needed to plan out the worksheets for them to take notes with when they went to see the first set of animals – they were small ones that wouldn't get any bigger than a human's shins – as well as the upcoming test after their menagerie trip. The rest of the week was booked with class work until Monday. There was also a big project coming up soon…If he got permission from Talnus, he would breach topic with Harry on Monday – he planned on teaching Harry how to feed the animals then, and the two of them would be alone with a large allotment of time to talk it over. It would be the perfect time.

He nodded with finality and rose to get ready, steeling himself for the day to come.

* * *

The moment Harry and Hermione walked into their first period class they were overcome with a sense of dread. It was eerily quiet except for some whispers, and all of the desks had been pushed to the side. The students that had arrived were all huddled in a huge group near them, whispering. He could see De la Sombras at his desk getting his things together – a stack of white boxes rested on his desk beside him. He was dressed down for the day, his sleeves rolled up to his elbow and he was wearing knee-length, sturdy-looking boots, fastened together with a row of buckles that crisscrossed in various places. He was wearing black again, but this time, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt – despite the heat – to go with his usual black pants (which had been tucked into his boots). His hair was in a ponytail this time.

The two students joined the crowd where they were, waiting for the professor to start. He didn't move from fiddling around on his desk until the bell rang and when he turned – his expression twisted in annoyance – he had one of the boxes open in his hand. There were white sticks inside.

"Everyone come here and get one of these," he barked, holding up one of the sticks, and the class immediately lined up at his word. He passed a stick to each of them and Harry and Hermione were shocked to realize that he was passing out chalk; excess white dust covered their hands when he gave it to them. The class moved back to their previous places after they had all gotten one and the teacher moved to the front of the room.

"Today, we are going to learn some very simple sigils. You will not be summoning anything, so I would appreciate it if anyone who finds themselves unable to prevent themselves from trying to do something got the hell out of my classroom." There were a few gasps at his word choice, but no one protested; no one dared to move either, not wanting his attention to be focused on them.

"With that, let's continue. This chalk, though it may not seem so, holds magic in it; it was created from rocks in the ocean not far from where we are, and infused with the necessary magic needed to draw forth a creature. Extensive damage to this chalk could be costly – _monetarily and otherwise_. Therefore, every day that you use it, before we leave class, you will place your chalk _neatly_ back into their boxes so that you will not lose it and that they will not be damaged. I know the number of sticks that I have, so do not think I won't know that one is missing, and if I find that one of your scents is missing when I count them, I will know which one of you has taken it, _understand_?" _He can discern our scents, despite so many of us here?_ Harry thought, perplexed, _what kind of creature _**_is_**_ he?_

The class nodded at the vaguely veiled threat, some of the students around him eliciting whimpers of fear.

"Now, take your chalk and find an area, separate from one another, where you will each have enough room to stretch your arms fully no matter which way you're facing." The students complied, friends staying together and scattered around the room in staggered spots, checking the size of their space with their arms outstretched and turning a complete circle – after placing their familiars down beside them of course. De la Sombras moved to stand in front of his desk where a space of just the right size was located. He waited for everyone to have a spot before continuing.

"Take out your textbooks and turn to page 151; there you will see the sigil to summon a common pixie." The sound of flipping pages filled the room.

The picture on page 151 was of a larger circle with a smaller circle inside. Two symbols alternated around the expanse the two circles created – one was a symbol which looked like an X which had been tilted slightly to the left and the other one simply looked like the letter 'I.' In the very center of the circles was a string of symbols evenly spaced at vertices of a five-pointed star, another symbol shaped like a seesaw from a playground placed on top of a triangle acting as the center. The symbol at the top point looked like an image of a sitting stick figure turned on its head. The next symbol was like a horseshoe with a bent left end. The next was like the image of a thick scooper with a handle cut off about half an inch from the spoon part. The second symbol was repeated again in the sequence, and the last one was like the letter T with an open hole attached to the downward line.

The caption at the bottom said that when drawn the radius of the smallest circle was to be the length of the summoner's foot, and the radius of the largest circle was to be at least two inches larger than the smaller one. The X symbol was called a Nauthiz and the 'I' was called an Isa – meaning constraint and stasis respectively. The letters forming the star in the center spelled 'pixie' an alphabet formed from Runes called the Andamic Script, and the one in the very center was the symbol for 'air,' which labeled this pixie as an airborne one. This sigil was one of simplest ones, the simplest of all being the one to summon a Dugbog (1).

"All of you draw this symbol on the floor with your chalk – _exactly_ as you see it. When finished, I will come around to check your work. You will work on this symbol until the end of class; if you do not draw it correctly before then, you will meet me during lunch to continue working on drawing it." Protests immediately arose, though the first ones were still unsure.

"But, professor, I have a test today!"

"Professor, you can't do that to us! We have to have lunch!"

More and more protests of the like came, and Harry and Hermione watched as the professor's fists clenched and his eyes squeezed shut. A snarl came across his face, and the air around them seemed to get very thick. The air around the teacher seemed to have suddenly become charged with energy – in fact, the chalk boxes and bottles rattled on his desk.

Eventually, one of the bottles snapped, and so did he.

"**_Silence_**!"

The class turned as still as death; the students finally realizing the atmosphere. Every eye turned to the teacher, their shock evident as they took in his appearance. Black horns protruded from his forehead, blacker than night and lethal looking as he bared two rows of fanged teeth at them. A black tail that ended in a spade whipped back and forth behind him, like it was slicing the air itself. His eyes were glowing red, the pupils slitting until they looked like a thin line of black in the center, and he looked positively _murderous_. Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick straight up, and he shot a worried look to Hermione, who looked like she too was feeling the dangerous vibes of their professor.

"If I say you will come during lunch, you will come, _without _protests and _without _excuses! If you don't want to learn on my terms, then _leave_! _No one will miss you_!" his fury-fueled words echoed off the walls in the silence. The students cowed further back from him; the thick feeling in the air had not dissipated, and it looked like the charged atmosphere was coming from him.

His eyes swiped over them, and seemingly satisfied at their fear, he calmed down. The horns, tail, and fangs stayed, but the air lightened up substantially, and Harry let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

"As anyone with sense can see, I am not in the mood to deal with blubbering, selfish teenagers, and I would advise all of you to be seen and not heard." he narrowed his eyes at some of the ones who had protested, all of whom flinched back from the angry professor. "Start on your drawings. And no talking." Harry gave him a slight glare of his own; it wasn't in his nature to take tyranny such as this lying down. However, he wasn't certain whether or not the teacher would feel any remorse if he killed one of his students for speaking out against him – another difference that separated America from Britain. And not one he would be happy to deal with.

Despite his reservations, he started to draw the image he had seen. Hermione followed suit, peering down at the book intently. It took him and Hermione multiple tries to complete it – either the circles weren't the right size, or the runes had been smudged while they were drawing the other ones, or they had completely drawn the rune wrong.

In fact, it took the entire class period – and Harry had a feeling it was because the professor was simply in a picky mood and had torn their drawings apart piece by piece with his gaze just so he could wreak havoc on them. He kept his new appendages as a reminder of his mini-tantrum from earlier; his tail whipped around behind him and every once in a while Harry was certain he saw a near sadistic grin on his face whenever one of the other human students quailed in fear whenever he came to check their work. All of these aspects of him he noticed with a careful – albeit annoyed – eye, and all of his findings led to him right back to the same question as before:

_What the hell was he?_

He waited until they were out of the class, after De la Sombras had made sure to angrily remind them all that they needed to read chapter two and have a summary on his desk the next day, before voicing his question to Hermione for the answers.

"The horns and tail are indicative of a demon, but the fact that he can hide his demonic characteristics without the use of a spell means that he isn't a full one."

"So we have a psychotic part-demon as our first period teacher? _Lovely_." Hermione sighed.

"Are you shocked? I mean, this school as so many types of creatures – some that we've never even heard of. I was thinking about looking into the school's statistics in the library to see what types they do and did have, just to be sure."

"Of _course_ you are," Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Hermione turned to him with an innocent expression.

"Oh, no; of course not." Hermione snorted.

"Didn't think so." They made their way to the courtyard, pulling a little ways away from the crowd to say their good byes.

"Well, I'm off. Have fun in second, 'Mione." She huffed in annoyance.

"Oh really? And how do you expect me to do that? What that little blood-sucking prat I have to deal with every day," she grumbled. Beside her, Athena hissed. The witch pointed to her. "See? Not even _Athena_ likes him."

"She doesn't really particularly like many people at all, Hermione."

"Your point?" Harry laughed.

"Stop being so resistant. He's hot, he likes you; I'm not really seeing a reason why you shouldn't flirt back with him – besides your _pride_ anyway. Hubris will bite you in the ass, I can guarantee it." Harry, however, had a feeling it was something other than pride that was holding her back, but he wanted her to admit it first.

"He probably only wants me for my blood."

"Well, _that's_ not something you hear every day." Harry shook his head. "Listen, 'Mione, if he tries something just _Bombarda Maxima_ his ass away."

"Harry, I really don't think Talnus would be too happy about that and besides…I'm just not ready to flirt – with _anyone_. I wasn't so good at it in the first place." _Ah, the truth comes out._ Harry smiled.

"I understand. Well, if we don't hurry, we'll be late. Hurry along to your leech!" He teased as he walked away, Hermione's flustered shout of '_Harry!_' echoing behind him.

He walked to his class quickly, and soon found himself in the familiar tower. This time, Michelle awaited him, a huge grin splitting his face when Harry entered.

"Good morning, Harry! Are you ready to begin?" Harry placed Hedwig where he had the day before, and turned to answer.

"Of course." The redhead clapped in delight, and Harry couldn't help but think that he seemed all the more excitable than he had yesterday – and then he was reminded of what he had seen at lunch yesterday. Was his happiness the headmaster's doing? He blushed at the thought of what exactly Talnus could have to done to…_lighten_ the professor's mood, and quickly pushed that thought aside. Thinking about his teachers, together, was just a new way to scar him mentally. He forcibly turned his attention to the professor.

"Today we are going to lengthen the difference for you to apparate. Yesterday you were quite successful so I feel like you will be again today."

"Alright; let's do this."

* * *

Hermione walked cautiously into her second period, her earlier conversation with Harry on her mind. She hadn't meant to bring up the past, but the past came back every time Kieran entered her mind. It would be him and then Ron, and then the cycle would continue until she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in work. It seemed to be the only repast she had at the moment, aside from enjoying herself with her family.

To her surprise, the vampire had not come up to her like she had expected; his desk was currently empty. With a quick glance around, she found he was actually conversing with their professor. He looked nervous, almost like he was trying to persuade the professor to do something, but she seemed unconvinced. Eventually, she waved him back to his seat, to which he reluctantly complied. His face was twisted into a scowl when he turned, and then suddenly his eyes were on her. They snapped to her immediately, and she saw his pupils dilate. For a split second, his eyes raked over, but then he ripped his gaze away again with another scowl, finally plopping down in his seat.

Confused at the unusual reaction, Hermione made her way to her seat with a frown. What was his problem? Just yesterday he had been more than happy to be in her presence, and now he looked like he didn't want her around. Well, fine then, she refused to react to his rather rude reaction.

Even if it did sting.

She pulled out her Runes book as the bell rang, which was just as the teacher entered – this time by the door. She swung it shut hastily behind her and walked to the front of the room. She was once again wearing a very colorful get up;

"Alright, everyone, today we are going to get into groups of four. I have the groups set up." She pulled out a long piece of paper. "I have appointed group leaders for the groups; when I call your names, leaders, please stay seated and raise your hands so your other group members can know where you are. For everyone else, when I call your name, please join your group leaders at their desks. Group one…" She started to name them all; slowly the students grouped themselves in different parts of the room. There were seven groups; Hermione vaguely heard her name called as one of the group leaders.

Two other girls came toward her; she noticed with mixed feelings that Kieran was not one of her group partners. Part of her was sad, part of her was happy. She shook her head and turned her attention to the other three.

The first girl to reach her was a girl with unusual hair that was ice-white. It laid flat against her back as a long, shiny, and straight cascade; her bangs had been pushed back by a gray head band. Two strands seemed to have escaped the headpiece, however. A small scattering of freckles fell on the bridge of her nose.

She was wearing a blue hooded jacket on which was the word 'Caliber's' in navy blue, blocky letters. She also had on tan cargo shorts and was wearing small brown flip-flops on her feet. Her eyes were a pretty sky blue, and she was currently wearing no make up. However, she didn't need to, as her skin seemed to be clear and unblemished even without it.

There was a yellow collar around her neck with a 'Y' chain hanging down to her collarbone. For a moment, Hermione thought it was merely a fashion statement, but then she noticed with a start that small white ears were poking up from her head in excitation, and a fluffy white tail wagged behind her as she bounded over to Hermione.

The second girl was a pretty black haired girl. She was the exact opposite of the first – she was shy and seemed to be trailing behind the first girl almost obediently, her face calm. Her hair was cut choppily, her bangs swept to the side to curve around her heart shaped cheek and into her right eye; her eyes were like a cat's, yellow green with a slit of a pupil, and almond shaped.

In contrast to the first girl, she had black cat ears that lay flat against her head as she approached and a black, fluffy tail swinging behind her. Her right cat ear had a silver hoop through it and she had a silver lip-ring through her bottom lip. A small metal ball also pierced her right nostril. Her make up was heavy around the eyes; the black eye-liner contrasted the light color and made them seem to shine.

She was wearing a black and red striped shirt which hung off one shoulder over a red tank-top and a short skirt with black leggings beneath it. Black, studded belts crossed over her slim hips and black combat boots covered her feet.

Hermione also noticed curiously that she also had a yellow collar around her neck; the difference was that hers had an 'S' hanging down.

Her skin was a dark caramel, like she had been in the sun all of her life, and there was a small, light pink scar on the underside of her chin, which stood out glaringly from her darker skin tone.

The whitenette pulled a chair from the table in front of Hermione and sat down straddling it.

"Hermione Granger, huh? Nice ta meetcha," She held out a hand with sharp nails, which Hermione tentatively took. Her handshake was incredibly strong despite her slim build. She shook Hermione's hand eagerly. "The name's Sarah, Sarah Gibbons," she all but chirped.

"Nice to meet you, Sarah," Hermione said awkwardly, unsure how to react to her. The young girl reminded Hermione of a puppy; hyper and eager to meet new people – the wagging tail and collar did nothing to help the image.

The other girl grabbed a chair as well and sat down, however much more calmly than the first girl.

"This is Yvette Marx." She pointed to the girl beside her, who had grabbed a chair from somewhere else and had sat down before Hermione as well, though much calmer than her counterpart. The black haired girl nodded to Hermione after her introduction but did not speak.

"Nice to meet you, Yvette." Yvette nodded again, her eyes sliding to Athena. She smiled slightly and reached out to pet the cat. To Hermione's surprise, the cat nudged up into her hand without protest, purring happily. Hermione figured it had something to do with the fact that she seemed to be some sort of cat creature herself.

Hermione looked around and noticed that their last member had not arrived yet. Almost as if on cue, another person came to their table.

"Hello, ladies; I am Adrian Theriault," A deep voice said smoothly. The three girls looked up as a shadow fell over the table.

Their last member was a guy. He was the epitome of an American pretty boy; he had blonde hair, tanned skin, a well-developed body that could be seen clearly through the white polo he was wearing – the only thing that ruined it were his red eyes. They were more than a little unsettling in his otherwise normal face, and for some reason Hermione felt wary of him. Something felt…_off_ about this guy.

He was just…_too perfect_.

"Nice to meet you…Adrian," Hermione answered hesitantly.

"Yeah, same here." Sarah seemed just as wary of him as Hermione was; Yvette ignored him and continued to pet Athena – but if Hermione wasn't mistaken, it looked like Yvette's tail was flicking behind her agitatedly, like she was nervous about something.

"I know _you_ are Hermione," He said, casting a smile at the witch, "Which one of you is Sarah, and which one of you is Yvette?" He asked the remaining two. It was incredibly obvious that his interest in the two was less than platonic.

"I'm Sarah, this is Yvette," Sarah, who had been hyper before, said tightly, her eyes narrowing. Both of the animal-like girls' ears flattened against their heads.

"Ah…" He murmured, smirking slightly. On one side of his mouth, hung a fang; All his tone served to do was make the three of them tense.

Before anymore words could be said, the teacher spoke again.

"Alright," Mrs. Cinders said, clapping her hands to gather everyone's attention, "Today we are going to start a project on Amulets. Each group will first choose a category from the ones on the board." She waved her hand in a flourish toward a board behind her. the chalk rose and scrawled out the choices in a loopy cursive on the board. The choices were offensive and defensive. The teacher quickly explained.

"Amulets can be used in two ways: offensively, for attacking someone who tries to harm the wearer, or defensively, for protecting the wearer. Each group will have to choose the type they want. When that is done, you will also have to use an element. It doesn't matter the element, as all of them can be used for both types. You will be required to do research on the different types and their attributes, and the right materials to create your amulet before you can begin on the project itself, which will be making an amulet and testing it out before the class. It will be due next week, on the day of your test.

For now, we will go to the library for you to do some research and deliberate amongst yourselves on your choice before you start in the amulet's creation. Your decision will need to be written out, with each group member's name on it by tomorrow morning. Now, everyone, let us go." She made her way toward the door, waiting for them all to grab their belongings and making their way toward her.

Sarah and Hermione glanced at one another and shrugged, the former getting up - pulling Yvette along with her - to go gather her things. Adrian followed suit, leaving Hermione thankfully alone.

The four of them gathered with the other students with their teacher when they were done, and then as one they all followed her out. Sarah and Yvette came up beside her as they made it to the door to the courtyard.

"So, Hermione, what do you think about Blondie over there?" Sarah muttered, glancing at Adrian behind them for a moment. He was watching them - well, Hermione - with interest that bordered on unnerving. Hermione was surprised to note that he was standing next to Kieran, who was talking to him with a less than friendly expression.

"He creeps me out to be honest; did you see those teeth? I think he's a vampire," Hermione muttered, glancing at him as well. "Not that I have anything against vampires," she added quickly, "but it doesn't make me feel any better about it."

"Me too; most vampires try to be suave to shack up with human girls, but he's just trying too damn hard." Most vampires? Did that include Kieran?

"So, you're saying most of the vampires in this school are just prats who like to shag girls?" Sarah glanced at her for a second and then promptly burst out laughing. Hermione blushed darkly when she saw that other people start to look at them weirdly. Neither of the animal-like girls seemed to notice or care.

"If you mean that they all just want to sleep with girls then, yes, I do believe that," she said with a laugh. Realizing that the whitenette was laughing because of her slang, Hermione rolled her eyes. However, she couldn't ignore the slight pressure she felt when she realized that she was probably right; Kieran _did_ just want her for blood or her body.

"Yes, that's what I mean." She and Sarah chuckled slightly.

"I don't like him," a soft voice piped up and both of them turned to Yvette, "Adrian, I mean." She simply gazed back at them with calm eyes. Hermione nodded and offered a smile.

"Me neither; and if he tries to make a move on_ you_, Yvy, then I'm going to kick his ass," Sarah growled and bared her teeth, grabbing Yvette's arm and pulling her closer, sending a pointed look at Adrian. Hermione chuckled.

"So are you two...?" Hermione asked, glancing back and forth between the two of them pointedly.

"Yes, we're together. Mates, actually." There was that word again: 'mates.' Now that Harry may have one, it was like that word was suddenly everywhere.

"So this 'mates' thing...what's it like?"

Sarah smiled softly and sent a glance to her mate before looking back at the witch.

"It's amazing really; it's the most profound happiness in the world - like you've found a certain peace in your soul."

"That sounds amazing; I just can't believe that there is something like that in the world - is there any reason why witches and wizards aren't guaranteed that sort of happiness?"

"No one knows; some say it's because they are so prejudiced towards other creatures. There are legends that say that the magic for mates ran out before it could get to the humans, as they were the last creatures on earth. But that's just one of the theories. All anyone has every agreed on is that humans have either proved themselves unworthy or they just got the short straw," Yvette broke in this time, her voice so soft only the two of them could hear her.

"Interesting..." _Another thing I'll have to look into_, she said to herself.

"Yeah, it is." Sarah smiled at her.

The conversation died out, leaving them each to their thoughts. Hermione herself was very intrigued at the idea of having a mate. To be able to have such happiness in any lifetime seemed like a farfetched dream. For someone like her, who had had her first love betray her and her family, it seemed too good to be true. To be honest, she couldn't quite wrap her head around it.

Her confusion must have shown on her face, because Sarah startled her out of her reverie with a comforting hand placed on her shoulder.

"Don't think too hard on it - you would have to live it to get it. Until then, you will never understand it." Hermione nodded after a pause, glad to get some sort of insight on the situation. She wished it wasn't nearly so hard to get, for the simple fact that she wished she could help her adopted brother with the strange situation he had suddenly found himself thrown into.

They had finally made into the hallway before the library, which rested just behind the door that came from the courtyard. The hallway was a very simple brown wood, with no other furnishings but the wooden boards lining the top and bottom of the walls on both side.

When everyone had gathered into the hallway, Mrs. Cinders turned to them all.

"Everyone, I want you to get in your groups in different places of the library. Please keep your voices at a low level so as not to disturb other students or Ms. Kim while you debate on your topic. If you are done early, then choose a book to read or talk quietly amongst yourselves. For now, you will not be able to check out any books, as you do not have a library card. We will be getting those today, as I am sure most classes will be doing soon."

After her speech, she proceeded through the wooden door to the library. The group followed.

And Hermione abruptly found herself in her own personal heaven.

She drank in the huge library, spelled to be bigger on the inside so it would fit into the same space as smaller areas, with wide, excited eyes. The walls on all sides were lined in bookcases, and what looked like dozens of isles of books covering the whole floor. The bookcases held books on everything she could think of - and for almost every wizarding section there was a Muggle counterpart, meaning that this library had just about everything she could ask for to learn about.

There were small, light wood tables with chairs for them to recline and enjoy books or for them to do work, which they would be needing for the project. There were four chairs to each table, all of which were cushioned for comfort, meaning this would be a comfortable place for learning.

She noticed also that there were a set of spiral stairs that led to a second floor - but not to the top floor of the entire wing - that had even more books. They lined the wall in an uninterrupted maze of knowledge that made her practically flush with excitement.

Realizing that she probably looked strange to the younger students, she cast a furtive glance around the room to make sure none of them had noticed her small moment of discomposure. Thankfully, no one seemed to be looking at her, so she reign in her excitement for the time being - she could gush to Harry later about the library, when there were not as many spectators for her to worry about.

Their teacher took them all to the front desk where a serious looking woman sat. She was a small, lightly-tanned woman who looked to be in about her mid-fifties. Her silky black hair was pulled tightly away from her face, leaving only a thick strand of bangs - with one gray streak in the very front - to fall onto her cheek.

Her almond shaped brown eyes gazed sternly at them, though not unkindly, quite reminiscent, Hermione thought, of Minerva McGonagall. Firm but gentle, caring but resolute about what she thought was right. Hermione liked her already, if only or the fact that she seemed like a good, intelligent woman through and through.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is Ms. Anna Kim. She is the librarian here in the Caliber's Library." At the simple introduction, the small woman rose to speak herself.

"As Ms. Cinders as mentioned, my name is Anna Kim. Please, call me Ms. Kim. While in this library, you will be expected to adhere three rules, which are the following," She turned and pointed to a sign on her desk. The title at the top screamed 'LIBRARY RULES' in big, bold, black letters, contrasting with the light tan background. She continued,

"Number one: use your inside voices unless you put up a silencing charm around yourselves. If you disturb any of your fellow students while they study, I will personality escort you out of the library. Number two: this is a library, not a mall. If you are caught doing anything that does not involve my books, you will be sent out. Do not come here thinking that this will be a place for you to enjoy time with your friends, goof around, or mess around with your significant others, understood?" The entire group nodded.

"Very good. Now, last but certainly not least: if you bring food into this building you must clean after yourselves. If not, there will be mice and insects roaming around that I'm sure none of you want to deal with." As expected, most of the girls shuddered in disgust at the thought, while some of the boys - ones who looked decidedly younger - seemed excited about the idea of seeing the insects.

"Alright; so, I have been told that you will be researching amulets. Now, do not believe that because your teacher is not around that you are free to do what you want. There is nothing that goes on in this room that I do not know about, including the top floor." She gazed around at the whole group sternly and it was clear that there were some who didn't believe her. She gave a slightly smug smile, as if she knew something that they didn't, and kept going as if she hadn't noticed.

"Now, most of you already have library cards, although I know there are a few of you who are new arrivals. Those of you do you not have a card, please raise your hand." Hermione and a few others did so. "Alright, I ask for those few of you to stay behind once your groups are dismissed. Don't worry, it won't take long." She nodded at the blonde teacher who nodded back in acknowledgement before addressing the class again.

"Everyone, you may now pick a place in the library to choose your projects' subject. For those who finish and or have any questions for me, you can come see me at the table in the back," She pointed behind her to a table resting in front of the back-most bookcase.

"Alright, off you go."

Sarah and Yvette - and later Adrian when he came up beside them - waited for the rest of the class to dissipate.

"We'll be going to a table over behind that bookcase over there," She motioned toward a section that jutted out from the rest of the bookcases to hide a line of tables whose proof of existence was the corner peeking out from the edge of the bookcase, "Come look for us when you're done." She lot a glance at Adrian, looking like she was going to tell him not follow, but eventually decided against it, waving to Hermione as she and her mate walked to the area she said they would be.

Hermione turned to the librarian, who had them line up. When they reached her, she asked them basic information about themselves - name, birthdate, gender, year, etc. - and the computer keys moved according to what she told when she waved her hand. While the computer was typing the information in, she pulled out a large black camera and took a pic of them while they were in line. The picture came out almost immediately and she placed it into a whirring machine beside her computer (and was also connected to the computer via a black cord). In five minutes, a card with the school's name, crest and a small picture of the owner was on the front, with a black bar on the back, was done and distributed to each student waiting.

"When you come to the library, I will scan your card when you check out books," She explained to those who looked confused, "But don't worry; if you forget your card, I will be able to type it into the computer's database. However, if I am not there, just say '_Commentum Fulminis_' in hearing range of the computer and then your name. It will look you up itself and check the books out, however, make sure you hear a voice say '_Effio_' before you move on. Once it has said that last sentence, the transaction will be complete and the book will be marked as checked out and put on your record. Everybody understand?" The group nodded, though some looked slightly bewildered.

"Then what are you still standing here for? Go do your projects." She waved them all away from her desk.

The group dissipated and Hermione begrudgingly made her way to her table, turning around the protruding case toward her group. She could spot them all from a mile away - they're unusual features made them stand out even in this crowd.

"Hi, you guys. So, let's get started on this then, shall we?" She sighed, sitting Athena down beside her, where the cat immediately curled up near her feet. They brought up a few good topics, though Adrian chose to simply gaze at the three of them like he was sizing them up. He didn't seem put off about the fact that the two animal-like girls were obviously together - in fact, when he realized it, it almost seemed like the wheels in his head turned even faster than before.

However, aside from that, the idea they chose came from Yvette, of all people.

"I was thinking we should choose fire for our element and defensive as our base type," She piped up finally, though very quiet and the seemed to be speaking to the table, "Not many people realize it, but fire can actually be a good defense in the right situation. I think it would be a lot more challenging than the obvious ones, like water or ice for defense."

Hermione nodded eagerly, always one to take on a challenge.

"And if we do it right, I think ours will be a really good one." She turned to the other two. "Any objections?" They shook their heads.

"Good, now we just need to write it down on paper..." She trailed off, searching around in her pockets for a piece, frowning when her search kept coming up empty.

"Here," Adrian cut in, handing his paper. When Hermione took it, their hands brushed; Adrian immediately smirked - nearly predatorily at her - and she merely gave a weak smile in return, sort of rattled by his reaction. They pulled away once again and with shaky hands she wrote down their project type. Sarah and Yvette gave her a worried look, clearly ready to cut in if it got more creepy, but she gave them what she thought was a reassuring smile in return before getting up and hurrying to give Mrs. Cinders their proposal. She tried her best not to bolt from the table to make it obvious she making her escape. She only hoped no one else had noticed.

However, luck was not on her side.

Kieran watched the blonde - slimy, disgusting little _leech_ - _flirt_ with Hermione. _His_ Hermione. He thought he had made it very clear before they had arrived at the library that she was off limits, but apparently Adrian had not gotten the message. He had pulled him aside as they had been walking and had plainly stated that she was his prospect - in a sense, she was his to go after and Adrian as another vampire who was vying for her was not allowed to have any contact with her out of school work. Sure, he hadn't had much interaction with the witch to enforce the fact, read: none at all (but that was beside the point) that day, but he had made his claim, and the blonde had damn well adhere to it. It was an unwritten law that no vampire would encroach on another vampire's territory, for lack of a better word (if the witch found out that was what he had called her, she would likely have his fangs for it).

He felt drawn to her; he thought about her constantly; about her blood, her body, her attitude, her _everything_ - it was deeper than the draws he had felt toward other women, human or otherwise. He didn't understand it much, but he had every intention of exploring it. And, if continuing to be her rival helped him interact with her, then so be it. Right now, he found himself strongly inclined to be whatever she wanted him to be. She tried to hide it, but she clearly had trouble with men flirting with her. It made her uncomfortable, almost defensive, although his way of doing it probably was the best - making her think he was merely trying to rattle her a little to get an advantage in their little competition. There would be time to win her over later. For now, he would merely test the waters, ease their rivalry into friendship and then further into romance when and if it got to that stage.

However, if the little nuisance kept _getting in the way_ he would have to do something about it.

The hardest part was figuring our how to do it without Hermione finding out.

* * *

No. 1: A dugbog seemed to me to be one of the smallest animals I could think of that was relatively harmless, so I figured it would also be easy to summon. If anyone doesn't know what a dugbog is, the HP wiki says that a dugbog is 'a marsh-dwelling magical creature found in Europe and North and South America. It resembles a piece of dead wood while stationary. It has finned paws and sharp teeth, and glides through marshland, feeding on small animals, and occassionally attacking the ankles of humans who venture into its habitat. Its favourite food is the Mandrake, and due to this, Mandrake-growers have found their plants nothing more than a bloody mess when they pull them out of the ground.'

That was taken word for word and is not of my own creation or thoughts. The dugbog itself belongs to J.K. Rowling and I am in no way making any monetary profit off of releasing this information to the general public.

A/N: The chapter title means 'New Decisions' :)

Well, here it is! Hope you like it and please, Read and Review!


	22. Chapter 22

beta: harryfan160889

* * *

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_There would be time to win her over later. For now, he would merely test the waters, ease their rivalry into friendship and then further into romance when and if it got to that stage._

_However, if the little nuisance kept getting in the way he would have to do something about it._

_The hardest part was figuring our how to do it without Hermione finding out._

* * *

_Chapter 22: Surgerimus Ex Favillae de Desperatio_

Severus cast his gaze back and forth to look at the room he had just entered, searching for any visible signs of someone or something waiting for him, his magic checking cautiously for any spells that could catch him off guard. When it came up nothing, he took a cautious step in and closed the door shut behind him.

He had gotten into the old coot's office easier than he had thought, which made him very nervous. To be totally honest, he had only planned out the specific time of when he was going to come; the rest had been boiled down to a mad dash to and from the office as quickly as possible. It was all he could come up with on such short notice, as he had barely been able to catch Draco in time before he had sent his owl to Longbottom's estate before he had had to return to Hogwarts to avoid anyone finding out he had left.

Even though he had chosen now to carry out his half-baked plan - when many of the students would be studying and many teachers would be hard at work grading homework or planning for their next class - he had still expected more resistance than this. The gargoyle had for some reason let him in with the first candy he had said, the first one that had come to his mind, which had almost never happened. And when he had just opened the door, no one had been inside.

Dumbledore was a great wizard and he should have his office protected to the fullest extent. There was something very, very wrong about him of all people being able to get into his office without much effort. Severus himself was also a great wizard, but he wouldn't say that in a fight against the headmaster he was guaranteed victory.

_So how why was it this easy?_

A soft trill alerted him; his gaze swung to the cage behind the old man's desk. In it sat Fawkes, looking worse for wear. He looked minutes away from his next burning day; more and more of his beautiful feathers had gathered and shriveled at his gnarled feet, turning as black as Severus's hair.

However, none of this did anything to the bird's aura of majesty; when his large eyes caught the potions' masters, they held their own and he straightened up, shaking his feathers slightly. Dignity permeated the air around the bird who had looked so down the day before, when he had been called into the headmaster's office and made his decision.

Maybe the ingenious bird was aware of and had accepted the task Severus had in store for him, despite not being able to bond with someone like the former Slytherin?

Fawkes's golden eyes swung away from his to just behind him. The raven froze, realizing that the only reason for Fawkes to look away was if they were not alone.

Slowly he turned around to see who it was that had caught him. However, it was not who he had expected.

"Minerva."

The older witch gazed at him with resigned green eyes, her hands folded in front of her instead of brandishing a wand, as he had expected.

"Severus," She answered softly. The raven gazed around the room, expecting Dumbledore to come waltzing through any second, but after a few minutes no one came. He shot questioning eyes toward her.

"You're alone?"

"Yes."

"Why? Shouldn't you report me to the headmaster for entering his office without him being present?" She shook her head.

"The reason you were even allowed in here was because of me." He rose a brow, only allowing a fraction of his surprise through.

Now everything made sense. He had been allowed in because someone had _wanted_ him in. Now the question remained of what she was going to do now that he was here.

"Oh? And why would you do that? Isn't that directly defying your _leader_?" He sneered. She looked down, her expression pained.

"He is not the same man you or I chose to follow, Severus - you know that. A madman has taken his place. I do not wish to allow this to continue any longer. That's why I have allowed you in here, once I knew that you were planning to break in." The man gave her a confused look. He had made sure that he wasn't being followed - how had she known?

"How did you find out?"

"After your meeting with Dumbledore, he told me to keep an eye on you." She smiled wryly, "I saw you leave mere minutes after the meeting and got suspicious, so I doubled my watch. A spell that I set up around your office went off when you left, alerting me into following you. I saw that you were headed toward Albus's office, I took a shorter route to beat you here." Severus's brows furrowed worriedly; had he really been so rushed that he hadn't noticed the spell on his office? Had he lost his touch that much?

"And what exactly do you want with me, Minerva?"

"I want you to help Harry, Severus." The man's eyes widened; that was the last thing he had expected of Dumbledore's most loyal follower to date. She had shown no signs of believing the brat when he had been arrested, so why was she making this plea now?

"Help Potter? And what makes you think that I will do so just because you ask me? And why now?"

"Severus, you may not wish to admit it, but I know that you hold some sort of respect for him - and you also have more to gain from being an ally of Harry's than what Dumbledore and the others know." He froze, looking into eyes that had become smug in a manner of seconds. She knew so much and yet...she had not told the elder wizard. If Dumbledore had known he wouldn't have let it go on for so long. The old man may trust him, and Severus had once trusted him to the fullest extent, but he had become power hungry; Severus's trust had ebbed along with Dumbledore's loyalty to Harry.

Perhaps he was not the only one of his followers to have lost faith in him?

"Also," she continued, her eyes darkening with guilt, "I am ashamed of my lack of faith in him and I want to make it up to Potter somehow. If I can be assured of the fact that you are going to help him, I want to help you anyway I can."

Severus pondered her words for a moment, seeing true sincerity in her gaze. She felt true guilt for her actions - the most he had seen of any of the other Light witches or wizards. However, even if was seen as an ally to the Light (not necessarily Dumbledore), but he still wouldn't put it past her to try to get something for his help in return. When he voiced his question, she smiled slightly.

"Merely that you make a magical vow never to incur harm to Harry or to intentionally harm him by your own wand, hand, or magic, and to help him, as long as the Dark Lord lives."

"An _Unbreakable Vow_, Minerva?" He sneered once more; he did not want to be forced into something so binding - and life threatening - as an Unbreakable Vow for the Potter brat as long as the future was still unknown. He never knew what sort of position he would be in for the next few weeks, or even the next hour.

"Yes, Severus; I must know for a fact that you will not turn on him no matter the situation." He resisted the urge to roll his eyes; so she truly did not trust him, she just found an opportunity to use him for the brat's benefit and took it. Just _like_ a Light wizard. After a moment's deliberation - and realizing that she wasn't going to let him leave until he made the Vow (and Dumbledore could arrive at any moment) - he gave in.

"Fine, then, if you insist," He held out his hand, which she grasped, pulled out his wand, cast the necessary spell, and she spoke the words,

"Thank you, Severus."

"Now, if you trust my word, Minerva, then you trust me enough to do my business here alone." She seemed surprised and hesitant to leave, but eventually she agreed, heading toward the door. Once she reached it, she turned back to him.

"I wish you all the best of luck, Severus." Then, she disappeared.

The raven gazed after her, full of mixed feelings. She was allowing him more freedom to do what he wanted in Dumbledore's office - he had expected her to protest when he had asked to be alone, but she hadn't whatsoever. And she had only asked for him to help Harry. Again, something itched at him.

He was once again hit with the thought that it all was just too easy.

But he couldn't afford to question her right now; he had other things to do. He hoped to be out of the school by the time Dumbledore noticed anything, and to do that he had to hurry.

He turned back to Fawkes and raised his wand. He cast _Alohamora_ onto the lock and it sprung open. Fawkes opened his wings and flew out. He wobbled for a moment, the loss of feathers affecting his flight. Soon, however, he steadied, his wings adjusting to the new conditions. He circled the air a few times before coming to stand on the headmaster's desk in front of Severus, gazing at him expectantly.

"I need you to take me to the Malfoy manor; can you do that?" The bird paused long enough for Severus to feel foolish for talking a bird of all creatures like it was human before holding out a wing. Severus was surprised, but he caught on quickly enough to what Fawkes was trying to do. He placed his hand on the wing and then he was engulfed in flames.

The feeling was unusually pleasant; fire was surrounding him, but he wasn't burning. In fact, it was like a warm blanket which was only lightly moving against him, like someone gently lulling him into a peaceful state. He was so relaxed he didn't even notice the scenery changing until he heard his lover calling his name, which startled him back to reality.

He looked dazedly over to see silver eyes alternating between watching him worriedly and gazing with curiosity at the bird he was touching. He looked around the room to find himself in Lucius's study, with Draco and Blaise sitting next to one another in leather chairs. Both looked just as shocked as the elder blonde at his unusual method of arrival.

Severus shook himself back into wakefulness and pulled away from Fawkes. The bird sat calmly by as the potions' master prepared to explain.

"Draco, do you still have the letter you plan to send to Longbottom?" His student snapped out his state of confusion and produced the letter in question with a quick muttering of _Accio_. Severus took it from him and handed it to Fawkes.

"Give this to Neville Longbottom." Fawkes clasped in his beak and nodded. He flapped his wings to push himself into the air and wheeled toward the window, which was thankfully open. Slowly, the fiery bird disappeared from sight at the horizon.

"Professor," Draco started hesitantly, "How were you able to _steal_ Dumbledore's phoenix?"

"I had some unexpected help," He answered cryptically, "and besides, I did not _steal_ him; he came willingly." He did not say any more and Draco was not inclined to push the subject. Silence prevailed.

"So now all we can do is wait," Blaise broke in, his face a mix of anxiety and impatience. There was quite a bit riding on the response of Harry Potter's supporters and friends, which all of them were more than aware of.

"Yes, Blaise," Lucius said softly, "All we can do now is wait."

* * *

When Minerva finally made it back to her office, none other than Albus Dumbledore was waiting for her, his eyes already twinkling.

"Welcome back, Minerva; did you do learn anything interesting while you were away?"

"If it's about Severus Snape, no; he was gone by the time I got the area where he was headed toward."

"Where did you say he was going?" Minerva inwardly flinched; she hadn't said anything about where she was going, but if that wasn't a hint to tell him, then she didn't know what was. However, as she had said, she wasn't going to tell him.

"The second floor corridor. There was no evidence of where he had gone from there."

"Oh?" the professor grew worried at the man's new, cold tone. His eyes lost their twinkle as he reached into his pocket. He produced a long piece of parchment that was folded from the outside-in, the two sides meeting almost seamlessly in the center. Ink covered the front, a ribbon along the top with vines behind it; there was a jumble of words at the bottom which seemed to form no specific shape.

In the center, spanning the fold was an aerial, line drawing of Hogwarts with the courtyard colored in. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar sentence which spanned the fold, the last three words placed in the very center of the courtyard. She could see it from here and her heart skipped a beat as she read it.

_Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs proudly present the Marauder's Map._

"Do you know what this is, Minerva?"

"Y-yes, Headmaster," She said weakly; she was caught, she knew it. If Dumbledore had already activated the map, he had probably been following both her and Severus as they went to his office. Which meant he also knew she had lied to his face.

She had forgotten that Albus had gotten the map when Harry's things had been given to him; how could she have been so stupid?

"And do you know what it told me?"

"I-I have an idea."

"Good; now, pray tell, why were you and Severus in my office and for so long? I expect you to tell me the truth this time, my dear, or you will find yourself marked as a criminal."

"A _criminal_?"

"Yes, for aiding and abetting a Death Eater to steal a precious and rare bird such as a phoenix from the headmaster of Hogwarts's office."

"B-but, Albus-!"

"Talk, Minerva, or I'll have Cornelius down here in a few moments to arrest you." She stared at him shock, her expression disbelieving. She had been one of Albus's most loyal followers to date, and yet he was stooping to such low tactics to trap her? She was insulted and hurt, but she could see no remorse in Dumbledore's eyes.

"A-alright," she relented, hoping that, one day, Harry would forgive her for causing him so much trouble.

3

Dumbledore burst into his office, Minerva trailing behind him, his gaze snapping all around the room, trying to see what Severus could have been doing when he had broken in. Nothing much seemed out of place - his desk was still where it was, his books, his Penseive, the cage - he froze, his eyes slowly turning back to the crafted prison, noticing something off. Something that made him seethe with anger.

The cage was _empty_.

_Fawkes was gone_.

His teeth ground together and his hands clenched into fists. How _dare_ Severus take Fawkes from him! Fawkes was his familiar, his bird, his most prized possession and as a man who kept the things he saw as useful as close to him as possible, it was quite embarrassing and infuriating to have something as valuable as his familiar to be stolen from him right under his nose, in his school, with the help of the people who were supposed to be the most loyal to him.

His gaze hardened. It had to have something to do with Harry Potter - even if Fawkes was initially stolen for the Dark Lord or for the potions' master's own devices it would still inevitably lead to Harry. Everything went back to that damnable boy - he was a man now, Dumbledore supposed, but not smart enough to escape him forever. The Order had found out that he was going to a school in America, but he had no problem searching every single school until he was found. The young man could not escape him forever and with his Gryffindor qualities he would not skirt his duty to the world when the time called for it.

And, he told himself, there was nothing he could do about it now besides gather himself and move on with his plan. He reeled in his anger and replaced it with a cold determination. It was not like Fawkes had been a major part of his plan to win Harry back in the first place; it was more his pride that was hurt because of losing his possession than his feelings about losing a familiar. It wouldn't do to dwell over what had happened.

It was time to go to the next step of his strategy.

He turned to Minerva, who hovered behind him with a worried expression. He gave her a tight smile, his eyes regaining a twinkle, though not the warm one he was known for. It was a dark, more mischievous twinkle that made the hairs on the witch's nape stand up in alarm.

What was this madman thinking?

"Minerva," Dumbledore started suddenly.

"Y-yes, Albus?"

"What all do you know about horcruxes?"

* * *

Neville started as he heard a beautiful trill from his small corner in the Longbottom library. He looked up, the interest in his book forgotten. He had been cooped up here for the last few hours reading up on dittany. He had realized that he didn't know as much about it as he would have liked, and it would come in handy in the future to come for healing purposes.

He rose, marking his page and placing his book on the table, before heading off toward the sound. It had sounded like something from a bird, but no bird he had ever heard had made such a lyrical noise before. He could only imagine what it could be.

The trill came again and he followed it to his living room. When he arrived, Luna and his Gran were already there, crowded around something on the long, blue-gray couch that spanned the back wall of the room, near a large window which looked out toward the house's posterior gardens.

"Luna, Gran, what was that noise?" The blonde young woman looked up to Neville with a dreamy smile that brightened her blue eyes.

"Look, Neville; we've got a new visitor." She stepped back and motioned toward the couch. Neville turned his gaze toward the 'visitor.'

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open in shock.

Sitting on his couch, looking about as dignified as a bird could be, was the last creature he had ever expected to see. Fawkes held his gaze, looking almost amused at his shock.

"Wha-h-how?" He stammered, walking toward the bird numbly. What was Dumbledore's familiar doing at his house, out of Hogwarts and without the headmaster accompanying him? The old man barely even let the bird leave his cage while he was inside the school let alone let him fly out of it. Something had to be up.

When he made it to the edge of the couch, Fawkes lifted a leg, where Neville and company finally realized that there was something tied to him with a black strap. It was an envelope made of a pure white, expensive-looking paper; the words 'Neville Longbottom' had been scrawled across the front with a loopy, sophisticated hand. Neville hesitantly grabbed the letter from the bird, gulping nervously. What if Dumbledore knew more than they thought? What if he had slipped up during his date with Ginny without realizing it and let her see more than he had wanted to?

He gazed down at the paper in horror, suddenly feeling hot under the collar.

_What if this was a summons from the Ministry for helping Harry?_

"For Merlin's sake, Neville, don't just stand there staring at it! Open so we can all see it!" His Gran snapped impatiently, forcing Neville back into reality.

"O-oh, right." He nodded and turned it over, revealing a seal shaped like an ouroboros (1) stamped into green wax. That didn't look like any stamp he had seen the Ministry, Dumbledore, or the order use...maybe it wasn't from any of them after all.

Then, if it wasn't them, who could it be?

Finally he peeled the lip open and pulled out a neatly folded parchment, casting a revealing spell wandlessly to get rid of any curses or hexes that may have been placed on it. When he was sure it was ok he opened it finally. The missive had clearly been written with a quill, which ruled out anyone from other countries.

He scanned the document for the sender and his eyes widened again.

"I don't believe it..." He murmured. This was a trick; it just had to be. It just didn't make sense otherwise.

"What's wrong, Neville? Who's it from?" He looked up at them in shock.

"It's...from _Draco Malfoy_."

* * *

No.1: An ouroboros is a Grecian symbol depicting a snake or a dragon eating its own tail. It symbolizes something that is cyclical or is constantly beginning again, being reborn over and over again - like the phoenix for example. I thought this would be a good seal for the Malfoy's to have, for obvious reasons certainly, but also because of the new beginning theme of this whole story.

A/N: The title means 'We Rise from the Ashes of Despair.' I chose this title because the groups in this chapter (excepting Dumbles, of course) are all trying to rise up from the hell that is going on around them. It also has a rebirth implication, like the ouroboros. It doesn't help that the driving character of this chapter was a phoenix himself. :)

So the site decided to allow me to edit the chapter minutes after I updated...Weird. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!

Rate and Review please!


	23. Chapter 23

Here is the newest chapter of BM! I'm sorry this took so long, my dear readers; I had a serious case of writer's block and it wasn't until I got some well-needed help from my dear friend LaLaTink that I got my groove back. Since some of this chapter was written during my inspiration drought, I can't promise it'll be amazing, but I hope all of you enjoy it anyway!

Read on, lovelies!

* * *

Beta: harryfan160889

* * *

_**Last Time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_"So now all we can do is wait," Blaise broke in, his face a mix of anxiety and impatience. There was quite a bit riding on the response of Harry Potter's supporters and friends, which all of them were more than aware of._

_"Yes, Blaise," Lucius said softly, "All we can do now is wait."_

* * *

_"Minerva," Dumbledore started suddenly._

_"Y-yes, Albus?"_

_"What all do you know about horcruxes?"_

* * *

_"I don't believe it..." He murmured. This was a trick; it just had to be. It just didn't make sense otherwise._

_"What's wrong, Neville? Who's it from?" He looked up at them in shock._

_"It's...from Draco Malfoy."_

* * *

_Chapter 23: Suspiciones_

Harry and Hermione met at their usual place in the courtyard, where Remus was waiting, and headed over to the cafeteria after a small discussion of how their day had been and saying their farewells to the wolf. Harry was starting to get worried about the witch; she was not her normal self today, obviously, in fact she had been unusually quiet since they had met up.

"So, did you do anything interesting in class today?" He ventured pointedly, garnering her attention for the first time since they had sat down. Hermione looked up at him like she had just noticed he was there.

"Hm? Oh, yes; we went to the library during Ancient Runes today."

"The library, huh? Did you like it?" Some energy seemed to return to the witch, for she perked up a bit.

"Oh, yes, it was amazing; two floors with wall to wall bookcases and comfortable tables and chairs to read in. I got a library card to check out books - speaking of which, remind me to take you there so you can get one for yourself. The library has a magical computer that is voice activated; it's so cool!" She sighed, placing her chin in her hand, "I wish we could have stayed longer."

"Why were you there in the first place?" At that phrase, her energy seemed to seep out instantaneously.

"We...were there for a project; we have to make an amulet in groups." Despite the subject being something he would have expected the witch to be excited about, Hermione didn't seem very enthusiastic at all. That immediately sent up a red flag in Harry's mind.

"What's wrong, 'Mione?" She jumped as if startled and shot him an apologetic look.

"It's nothing, really-"

"Please, Hermione; for someone like you to be out of it, there _has_ to be something wrong." She smiled, knowing it was true, and decided to tell him.

"Well, there's this..._guy_ in my Runes class - not Kieran - who sort of...freaks me out." She scrunched up her nose at the thought of him. Harry immediately became alert. No way in hell was some guy going to make his sister uncomfortable.

"Freaks you out? How so?"

"Well, he's very..._flirtatious_, but not in a charming way. Sort of like - how to put this?" she paused and tapped her chin, "Like predatorily flirting, I guess? Doesn't help that he's a vampire either." Harry's brows disappeared beneath the fringe of his bangs.

"_Another_ vampire? Damn, Hermione you're just a vampire _magnet_, aren't you?"

The witch promptly flushed scarlet. She leaned over and hissed,

"I am _not_ a vampire magnet, Harry!"

"Sure, sure," He said with a teasing smile. However, it soon faded when his mind went back to the topic of the vampire who was bugging her. "Anyway, how did you meet him?" he started again.

"Well, he's in my group and almost immediately after we first got together, he made me feel very uncomfortable. And, when we were in the library coming up with a topic, he was being eerily flirtatious with me and the other girls in my group. It was more like a wolf looking at fresh meat than a guy trying to be charming. I don't like it at all." Harry frowned, placing a hand on hers.

"If he does anything untoward to you, tell me; I'll make sure he regrets it," Harry said firmly, his tone dead serious. Hermione smiled gratefully at his protectiveness.

"Thanks."

"And what is his name?"

"His name's Adrian Theriault." She turned around, "I'll try to look for him." She ran her gaze over the crowd, her brow furrowing when she realized that not only Adrian was absent, but Kieran as well.

"Well?" She turned back to Harry, looking confused.

"He's not here and neither is Kieran." She placed her chin in her hand. "That's strange. I wonder where they are?" Harry was surprised as well, however, he decided that it was time for a subject change; he didn't want her dwelling on some creepy guy from her class.

* * *

Furious did not even _begin_ to describe what he was feeling.

The blonde had gone too far by trying to go after Hermione, and he was _going_ to stop, if he knew what was good for him.

Kieran grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him from the door to the cafeteria into the courtyard. Once they got to a spot near the wall, Kieran stopped and whipped around to face Adrian with a furious scowl.

"What _the hell_ do you think you're doing?" he snarled, baring his fangs. Adrian smirked, clearly enjoying how much he had ruffled the other.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kieran's eyes narrowed, his anger suddenly bursting from inside of him all of a sudden.

"You know _damn well_ what I'm talking about; I told you _clearly_ to stay away from Hermione and you deliberately started to flirt with her not five minutes later!" Adrian's smirk widened, which only made the dark-haired man seethe more.

"You say that as if she's actually yours."

"She _is_ mine! I fucking_ told_ you that I had laid my claim _today_!" Kieran snarled back, his voice raising. Several of the other students nearby turned toward the pair, startled by the sudden outburst of colorful language in the usually quiet area.

"Tsk, tsk; lower your voice, _Matheson_." Kieran gave a furious growl and quickly slammed his fist into the wall; it was only the magic in the clay that stopped the bricks from cracking. Kieran knew that if he hit Adrian, he would be suspended and that would give the damn blonde a head start on trying to get Hermione. He knew the blond was probably just after the witch for nothing more than sex or blood, and he didn't want to even think about the blonde soiling her - Adrian was known for _taking_ what he wanted if he couldn't get it willingly and he swore if that bastard hurt her...there was nowhere in any dimension he could run where Kieran wouldn't be able to find him.

To prevent that, he needed to keep his anger under control; he had to be here for Hermione. The witch was powerful and smart, but she had never dealt with a vampire before, so there was no way she would know how to handle him or fend him off.

Kieran sighed and reigned in his temper as best he could.

"Just...stay the hell away from her." The or else was left unsaid, but it still hung in the air.

"Whatever, Matheson. We'll see who she wants when the time comes." He smirked at the vampire and swaggered back into the mess hall.

Kieran glared after his back, waiting until he left to swiftly slam his fist against the wall again. The way it resounded this time throughout the nearly empty space appeased his anger marginally, but it didn't appease his fear for Hermione; he would have to get back into her good graces soon and get her to warm up to him. To do that, he would have to complete the first step:

An apology.

* * *

This time, when Remus arrived at his assigned room, the redheaded wolf from the day before was waiting for him. She smiled brightly up at him, the smile nearly ripping her freckled face in half.

"Afternoon, Mr. Lupin."

"Didn't I tell you to call me Remus?" He teased, opening the door for the two of them.

"Yeah, I guess you did," She said with a shrug, her smile never faltering.

"So, Miss, what's your name?"

"Reyna Pierce; I'd prefer it if you call me Rey, Mr. Lupin." He turned to her with a teasing smile.

"I'll call you Rey if you called me Remus." She blushed and nodded, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Alright, I can dig it." Ignoring the unusual sentence (What did that even _mean_, anyway? The only thing she could think of that she would be digging was a hole and the imagery combined with the fact that she was a werewolf left him feeling a little disturbed), he went straight to business.

"So, is there anything you need help with?"

"Oh, yeah! I was wondering if you know any good people to get a good wolfsbane potion from? I'm sorta new here and I haven't been through Mystic Ridge yet to find someone."

"I'm not quite sure myself, as I just got here a few weeks ago; my good friend Sirius Black is the one who got my potion for me. If you want, I will ask him tomorrow and get back to you - is that alright?"

"By 'good friend' you wouldn't happen to mean 'lover-boy,' would you?" Remus froze at her bold words, his mouth dropping open. Quickly composing himself, he answered,

"I-what makes you think that?" Her gaze turned playful and he could feel his face warm.

"Well, for one thing, your face colored a little when you mentioned this 'Sirius.' Also, you definitely have the scent of someone in love." Remus zoned in on the last sentence, confused.

"The 'scent of someone in love?' What does that mean?" She sat down in the chair beside him, curling her legs under her.

"People smell differently when they're in love; their scent is much sweeter and their pheromones are going crazy; it's a wonder they're even able to function with how much they tend to think about the other person, humans especially." Remus turned to her completely, his voice hesitant.

"Do I really...smell like that?" She giggled at his worried expression, patting his shoulder.

"Yes, you do, but that's not a bad thing. It means you've found your mate and wolves mate for life. Shouldn't you know this stuff?" He blushed, embarrassed to be called out so quickly.

"I, well, _no_, but I am learning," He held up a book he had brought with him, which he had purchased earlier from the village bookstore, to read in between the students who came. It was a huge book with over six-hundred pages on werewolves and the largest and most extensive on the subject around the world.

She quickly took it from him, leafing idly through the pages before throwing the book behind her. Remus made an indignant noise at the unceremonious treatment of the book - really, did she have _no_ respect for books _at all_? - and quickly grabbed it off the floor, checking for any damage. Breathing a sigh of relief to find it unharmed, he turned toward her.

"What was_ that_ for?"

"That book is too..._science-y_, Remus; you have to_ experience_ the wolf to truly understand it." He snorted.

"You are just_ sixteen_-"

"Seventeen, thank you very much!"

"Excuse me, _seventeen_," he teased, putting extra emphasis on the last word, "How do you know so much about the wolf?"

"I was taught to embrace it. My parents are wolves, too, and they are all about being _au natural_ and 'being the wolf;' the main thing that i learned from them was to just let the wolf be, because the more suppressed it is, the more volatile it becomes. My wolf, who has_ never_ been suppressed, is hyperactive, sure, but tame. She listens to me and lets me have some control when we change."

"Wait, she let's you take control?" His disbelief made her laugh.

"Yes, she does; and your wolf would, too, if you let him out more. Remus, I can't begin to explain the sights and sounds that the wolf allows you to experience; it will_ literally_ blow your mind."

"Well, I hope its not _too_ literally," He joked, making her roll her eyes. "Besides, how can you experience it? Aren't you supposed to be unconscious when the wolf takes over?"

"That's the best part: if you're good to the wolf, it'll let you be conscious when the change happens. The only reason you are not is because you haven't become one with your wolf and therefore it forces itself to the forefront when you change. If you step aside quietly when it takes over, it will bring you along with for the ride."

He started at her in shock, overwhelmed by the idea. He knew that wolves had a keener sense of just about everything except sight, but even then that was only when it came to color. It could see farther and clearer than humans and it would be amazing to see, taste, smell, and hear what the wolf did. However, there was still that ever-looming issue of the wolf itself.

"But, how can I do that without _hurting_ anyone?" She propped her head up on the heel of her hand, gazing at him intently. He sat with his shoulders hunched, trying to take up as little space as possible while looking down at the book longingly and running circles with his thumb over the engraved text.

"Did those dip-shits in England tell you that?" His head snapped up in surprise, more shocked by the mention of his home country than her language.

"_What_?"

"Did they tell you that you would hurt someone if you let the wolf out?" For a moment, he didn't answer, letting her question sink in. Finally, he sighed,

"I-well, yes, they did."

"_Exactly_ and they were wrong; innately, your wolf doesn't want to hurt anyone more than you do - maybe now that it's been kept down for so long, it might lash out, but if you let it out then it won't hurt you or anyone else, especially those you care about."

"Really?" If he could change in the house in his own room with Harry and Hermione there without hurting them, it would be the greatest day of his life. He knew that the wolf didn't hurt Sirius, but it was used to Sirius - well, _Padfoot_ - not the other two, as it had never met them before.

Rey smiled at the hope she saw in his eyes.

"Yes, _really_; Remus, you need to try it out. One day, change without fighting your wolf. Let it simply take over and you'll see that I'm telling the truth." She glanced at her watch, her eyes widening when she saw the time.

"Well, as much fun as this has been, I need to head on out; homework and all that; it's all very _blech_, if you ask me." She shuddered and then shot him a playful smile, which the older wolf gladly returned, his much less mischievous.

"I understand," he rose to see her out, walking behind her to the trapdoor,"It seems, Rey, that you have helped me far more than I have helped you. You are stealing my job, my dear." She shrugged.

"I'm a giver, what more can I say?" He chuckled at her and shook his head.

"I'll get back to you about the potion, alright?"

"Thanks, man." She made her way to the trapdoor, descending to the first step, her head just above the floor. "Oh and tell Lover-boy I said hi, yeah?" Remus's face turned bright pink at that and she left, her laughter following behind her as she made her way down.

He rolled his eyes and went back to his chair, picking up his book again thoughtfully.

It couldn't hurt to look, right?

He flipped to the table of contents, reading the list. There was a chapter about wolf transformations, how to tell a werewolf bite from a normal wolf's bite, a diet plan that would best benefit the wolf (Remus noted the abundance of red meat with amusement), the best way for a newcomer to help the werewolf cope with the transformation, and more.

His gaze landed on a chapter that went along with what they had been talking about; it was titled _Integration: Getting to Know Your Inner Wolf_. The entire section was about bonding with the wolf, trying to understand the instincts, thoughts, and feelings of the wolf inside, the part that many people separated from their own conscious. It was a way to have a sort of convergence between the two minds in a werewolf to bring about an understanding between them and to allow them to coexist symbiotically; in some cases, people who tried integration with the wolf had even gotten to where they could experience a type of co-consciousness with the wolf during the transformation. It was a practice created by a wizard who had been bitten and had had no idea what to do about it. He had been trying to understand the wolf as much as he could, but try as he might he couldn't quite figure it out. It wasn't until he married a young psychiatrist who specialized in mental sicknesses (mentioning that seemed a little counterproductive to helping people see their wolf as an equal, but whatever) that he got the idea of drawing out the wolf to achieve the co-consciousness or even complete integration, depending on how well the practice worked for each person. It was what his wife did to help her patients who suffered from dissociative identity disorder, or multiple-personality disorder. The purpose of the exercise was to put the broken pieces of their consciousness back together into a single consciousness - the results of those who were successful was much like the ones of the people who had integrated themselves with their wolf.

In the end, that was what he wanted to achieve. He wanted to be so in tune with his wolf that he never had to put people he cared about, Sirius, Hermione, and Harry, in danger ever again and now that he had a way to do that, one that he had just gotten proof worked, he would jump at it.

He started to skim the information. There was a subheading specifically about the instincts of the wolf and how to interpret them as best as one could. Each type of keen heard from or action of the wolf corresponded to a certain emotion or desire, and it was the duty of the human side of every werewolf to try and appease or take care of the wolf. The wolf, which usually took the role as the secondary consciousness, had an insight into the human consciousness due to being constantly in contact with it and inherently wanted to help its human side; it was only after suppressing the wolf that it felt any anger toward the human and started to hurt them, as the human side was the only one who had the choice of being isolated from the other one; the wolf was basically at the mercy of the human consciousness.

It was a blessed changed from what he was used to and reading all of the different things that the wolf did was enlightening; it had never even occurred to him that the wolf could be trying to tell him something. He was embarrassed to say that the mentality he had grown up with had made him see the wolf almost like an inanimate object, incapable of feeling any deep emotions or having desires of its own.

It was when he had gotten to the techniques of how to draw out the wolf that the trap door was opened quietly, deliberately. A blonde head poked through and a small body followed as a familiar person pulled himself up into the room. It was Tir, the young wolf from the day before, who had asked him about a pack. Remus folded the corner of the page and placed the book down with a smile directed at him.

"Good afternoon, Tir; how are you today?" The blonde wolf smiled softly at him, but it didn't reach his eyes. This sobered Remus, knowing that look all too well.

"Good afternoon to you too, Remus." Remus turned himself to fully look at the young werewolf.

"Is there something wrong, Tir?" The young wolf looked up at him, not with surprise, but with a resigned sort of acceptance.

"I-well, yes, Remus; there is something I want to speak with you about." The older man conjured a chair for him to sit, and motioned for Tir to take a seat, mentally bracing him for the no doubt heavy conversation they were about to have.

"So, what exactly is this about?"

"Well, it's about a..._friend_ of mine."

* * *

Harry ambled his way down toward his third period, his pace light despite his heavy heart. He wondered what today would bring him. He wanted to see Nar, he knew that much, but he had no idea what to do now that he knew he was going to accept Nar's mating bond. He didn't know how to act around the elf - should he be friendly or flirty? He supposed flirty would work, but he guessed that it would be painful for Nar to be around him, so flirting with him didn't help. However, he didn't want the elf to think he wasn't interested at all...

_Damn it_, why did love have to be so _complicated_?

He stepped through the front door tentatively moments later, hearing the familiar rustle of students getting themselves ready for class. He rounded the corner to the classroom and made his way to the Nar's desk. The elf was not there, but he could see his cloak on his chair - evidence that he had been here before and was probably going to be on his way back. He set Hedwig's cage on the floor and opened it for her; she flitted over to the sill obediently and quickly closed her eyes, readying herself for a nap.

"Harry, you've arrived," he suddenly heard Nar say behind him. He whipped around to face the elf, who smiled slightly at him when they made eye contact.

"Um, yes; good afternoon, Professor." The elf inclined his head politely and made his way around to his desk. Harry noticed that he seemed preoccupied, like he wasn't completely invested in the conversation.

"Alright, first I'm going to need you to give these papers out to the students," he pushed a stack of papers into Harry's arms, "Now pass them out." Harry did as he was told, skimming the page as he did. The students were learning of small creatures that would be considered harmful to collect, such as ashwinders and bundimun.

He happily passed them out to the students, starting up small conversations with them. They were all adorable kids - he remembered well when he was that small - and many of them immediately liked him. Nar watched the events with a small smile, leaning against his desk. Of_ course_ the children already loved Harry; within a few moments he had the majority of the class laughing to some joke he had made and the young man himself had a wonderful smile on his face. It was times like this that he was grateful of being allowed to sit back and watch Harry be, well, _Harry_. It made him feel...warm on the inside.

Harry finally made his way back after the job was done. Nar pushed away and met him halfway.

"Thank you, Harry," he said as he walked to the front of the class. "Oh and can you stay after class for a little while? I wanted to discuss what you're going to be doing on Monday."

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright; on my desk there are some papers I want you to look at." The two nodded at each other, both awkwardly smiling and moving to their separate sides of the room. Harry had to admit he was a little disappointed that their conversation was so awkward, rushed even; Nar seemed uncertain about talking to him, at least about more than school, and Harry's nervousness on the trip down must have filtered into his mood now.

Harry sighed dejectedly and walked over to Nar's desk to look at the papers he spoke of. sitting himself on the edge of the desk to browse comfortably through them. His pace was absent, his brain not really soaking up the information. His gaze kept straying to the professor at the front of the room. He looked as gorgeous as ever today and Harry noticed that the more he spoke about the animals, the more animated he became, moving his arms with his words to demonstrate. His enthusiasm snatched the students' attention and held it; if Harry wasn't mistaken, he swore he saw some of them leaning forward in their seats. Sure, he had been animated before but now that he was actually getting into real animals and not just a syllabus and an overview for the course, he was _captivating_. It wasn't long before Harry himself simply sat and watched him, the papers sitting idle in his hands.

He didn't tear his eyes away from Nar until the bell literally jerked him out of his thoughts, so hard that he dropped his paper stack and they splayed about at his feet. He bent down to grab them, yanking them back into a pile to save some of them from the trampling of second and third year feet.

"Did I bore you that bad?" Harry looked up at the laughed comment, seeing Nar standing above him with a small smile on his face.

"No, actually; quite the opposite," He smiled widely as he finally stood, finding himself very close to the teacher, "You are an amazing speaker, Professor." Nar blushed darkly and waved him off.

"Don't be silly; I'm not that amazing," He murmured bashfully - but Harry noticed he hadn't moved away from their close proximity. However, to stop himself from doing something stupid, he moved away himself, back to his place leaning against Nar's desk; he placed the papers on the desk as he crossed his arms, a teasing smile sliding onto his face with ease.

"You practically had them - and me, might I add - on the edge of their seats." Nar shook his head and smiled back, his expression bashfully pleased, like he was basking in the unexpected compliment.

"Thank you, that's very kind," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.

"Just giving credit where it's due," Harry shrugged, gazing at Nar; he was blushing adorably for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He couldn't tear his eyes away.

Feeling eyes on him, Nar looked up to find his assistant staring straight at him. When their eyes connected, Harry jerked, his eyes widening at being caught, and he looked away abruptly, his cheeks dusted a light pink.

"A-anyway," Harry stammered, trying to bring the teacher's attention away from his staring, "We should get to what I'm going to do on Monday."

"Oh, yes," Nar breathed gratefully, snatching onto the safe change of topic and walking around to his desk. Harry turned to look at him. "Everyday, starting next week, I would like you to meet me around seven-thirty in the menagerie, where you will be helping me take care of the animals. That includes grooming as well as nourishment. Eventually, you may even be able to help them exercise."

"Which kind of animals will I be taking care of?"

"I know for certain you will be taking care of the hippogriffs. As you get better at it, I will slowly start to let you take over the care for the rest of the animals. My goal for you is that you will be completely competent in the care of the magical creatures, at least the ones on school grounds, by the end of the year."

"Really? That's sounds like a lot of fun." Nar smiled.

"It's not often I get people who are excited about animal care, especially with hippogriffs. They are right feisty creatures, I tell you." Harry laughed knowingly, remembering how Buckbeak had broken Draco's arms when the little prat had tried to show off.

"I had my fair share of interactions with hippogriffs at my old school."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, one hippogriff even took me flying."

"_Flying_? And you're teacher _allowed_ it?"

"Yeah; he hadn't expected it so he couldn't exactly stop Buckbeak, but it was loads of fun." At this, Nar's eyes widened, both impressed and concerned. It was very rare for the prideful creatures to be comfortable enough with a human to allow them on its back let alone take off into the air with it - not to mention the fact that the teacher had allowed him close enough for this Buckbeak to do so, knowing how volatile hippogriffs were...

"What school did you go to?" Harry froze at that, realizing his mistake. Getting caught up in reminiscing, he almost forgot that he wasn't supposed to take about Hogwarts. Now, Nar was suspicious and if he didn't get out of there before the elf pushed it, things could get very bad very soon. Harry glanced nervously at the clock, an idea popping in his head when he saw where the hands were placed.

"We'll have to pick this up at another time," Harry answered, dodging the subject completely. "It's almost time for my next class; I have to go." He hurriedly grabbed his cage, Hedwig thankfully fluttering over to her cage when she saw her master getting ready to leave, and skirted around the blonde with a sheepish smile, waving lamely as he did his best not to bolt toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Professor!" He flung open the door and scampered out, jogging a little ways up the path. He slowed down after a while, placing his hand over his face with a frustrated sigh. He had dodged a big one, but now Nar must be suspicious about him - at the very least, he must know he was hiding something. He had probably just created some more problems for himself as well.

_That is just what I need too_, he sighed mentally, walking toward the school with dread.

Nar watched him scramble out the door with a shocked expression. That had probably been the most suspicious thing Harry had ever done. Why would the wizard feel the need to dodge the question about his old school? Had something bad happened there, something so bad it made him run in the opposite direction when asked about it?

The teacher sighed and went to work on getting ready for his last class, thoughts of his young mate making his brow crease subconsciously in worry.

* * *

Eerily light green eyes with slitted pupils watched as his companion paced anxiously back and forth. His piercing gaze caught on the spade tail snapping behind him agitatedly. He wondered why his mate would be so annoyed about a _human_, of all things. Mateo had always had a slight enmity toward the human race, despite partially being one himself, but never had one bothered the half demon so much that he would _pace_ over it. He had been going strong for almost an hour; if he kept it up, he would create a streak in their carpet. A worried frown spread over him; seeing his love like made him anxious.

Mateo suddenly stopped mid-step and looked over to the other, almost as if he had sensed his unease. His bottomless black eyes softened uncharacteristically when he saw that his anxiety was spreading and stalked over to the perched man. The blonde rose from his place on the arm of their living room couch to meet him, staring up at him questioningly. He was at least a good head shorter than him - his people were all petit, no matter age or gender - so he had to tilt his head back to look him in the eyes comfortably.

"Lio," He sighed, cupping his scaled face with a gentle touch, the other hand sliding around his slim waist to brush his fingers across the tender, scaled skin of his hips, "I know what you're thinking. This human is just...particularly_ annoying_."

A blonde brow rose and his lips parted to comment, only to have one of the demon's finger there to quiet his protests.

"There is something about him; his arrival here - the fact that he has such power, not to mention his name - that just seems so very _peculiar_. I overheard Michelle speaking to Caliber about him - this kid and his family are gonna be serious players in the future, no matter how unassuming they seem."

"'Serious players?' What could that mean?" The blonde's voice was soft and lyrical, with a hint of an aristocratic accent and a breathy hiss weighing on his 's's.

"There's something coming for him - something big, powerful, and dangerous; something that could affect not only him, but all of us as well. However, according to the Seer, he is _meant_ to be here. Him and everyone that has come with him. Michelle couldn't say why, exactly, but he knows that much is true." The blonde was silent after that revelation. This human boy, this _Harry Potter_, was apparently someone very important; a big shot in terms of destiny.

However, there begged the question of what he was doing _here_, of all places? Caliber's was a great school, that was for sure, but it was nowhere near as prestigious as other schools in America, not to mention the bigger schools in Europe: Durmstrang and Hogwarts being the first to come to mind. Why would someone as apparently important as him be here, at the school in the middle of Nowhere, USA?

There must be something else that was keeping him here, or something that had forced him to come here. Maybe it was whatever that was coming after him that Michelle had spoken of?

"Whatever his reason, Mat," Lio murmured, a small smile breaking over his face, "Worrying over the issue so shall only hurt you in the long run." He leaned forward and pecked his mate's mouth, smiling when the demon leaned forward as he pulled away, trying to keep contact as much as possible.

The raven haired man sighed, seeing the logic in his lover's words, and acquiesced, pulling away to guide his lover toward their room. For now, he would let the issue slide, at least so as not to worry Lio. However, that did not mean he couldn't - and wouldn't - do some research of his own.

He smirked slightly as Lio pulled him into a loving kiss, sliding their bedroom door closed behind him.

He would find out that impudent little human's secret soon, he was sure of it. All it would take was a little digging. If what Michelle said was true, then he was putting them all in danger simply by being there, destiny or not.

Caliber and his little lover could be as curious as they wanted, but he would be _damned_ (ironic phrasing, he supposed, considering he was part demon) if he let some human be the reason that his mate would be in danger.

_But all of that can wait_, he thought as he crawled over Lio's body on their bed, his face taking on a seductive smirk at the flush that spread under those hauntingly beautiful eyes he loved so much,_ there are more pressing matters at hand. _

* * *

A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter! The title, as I'm sure many of you have guessed, means 'Suspicions.'

Read and Review Please!


	24. Chapter 24

So...here is the long awaited chapter! I'm**_ so _**sorry for making you all wait this long. I didn't plan to have such a long break, but I hope that this chapter will be enough to make you forgive me.

Also, Rhea, just wanted to say this because I can't PM you: I am unfortunately aware of the fact that my plot is moving slower than a snail on sleeping pills. There is just way too many things I want to say! Every time I get to the point that I want to press the fast forward button, I stop and go 'oh wait, but I want to say this and this and this' and I end up moving like a grandma behind the plot wheel. D: So, I'm sorry if this is boring you...I hope to push the speed up soon, but who knows? Hopefully it won't be enough to turn you away from my story, but if so, I appreciate your review anyway!

Now, read on, Lovelies!

* * *

**_Last time on Bestiae Mortis:_**

_Kieran glared after his back, waiting until he left to swiftly slam his fist against the wall again. The way it resounded this time throughout the nearly empty space appeased his anger marginally, but it didn't appease his fear for Hermione; he would have to get back into her good graces soon and get her to warm up to him. To do that, he would have to complete the first step:_

_An apology._

* * *

_"I-well, yes, Remus; there is something I want to speak with you about." The older man conjured a chair for him to sit, and motioned for Tir to take a seat, mentally bracing him for the no doubt heavy conversation they were about to have._

_"So, what exactly is this about?"_

_"Well, it's about a...**friend **of mine."_

* * *

_Nar watched him scramble out the door with a shocked expression. That had probably been the most suspicious thing Harry had ever done. Why would the wizard feel the need to dodge the question about his old school? Had something bad happened there, something so bad it made him run in the opposite direction when asked about it?_

_The teacher sighed and went to work on getting ready for his last class, thoughts of his young mate making his brow crease subconsciously in worry._

* * *

___But all of that can wait_, he thought as he crawled over Lio's body on their bed, his face taking on a seductive smirk at the flush that spread under those hauntingly beautiful eyes he loved so much,_ there are more pressing matters at hand._

* * *

_Chapter 24: Metamorphosis_

The next few days went by slowly for Harry. He himself was getting more anxious as the hours ticked by, wanting it to be Friday as quickly as possible. It would be like a weight lifted off of him to take some initiative in his life and to sort his new predicament out once and for all.

However, it seemed his anxiety was being noticed; De la Sombras had given him a suspicious look and Nar had asked him repeatedly if everything was alright. Though he had done his best to placate both, neither seemed to believe that he wasn't nervous about something.

His anxiety was not assuaged until he was staring at the wall that was supposed to be the 'door' of Talnus's office that Friday. He stared uncertainly at what seemed to be unbroken rows of brick. Remus and Sirius had told him at breakfast that morning that Talnus's door was open to anyone he allowed in, but the two of them had been taken to the office by the headmaster himself, so they had had no advice to give on how to make his presence known at the door. Should he knock to alert the sprite? Would Talnus even_ hear_ him if he did?

He looked down at Hedwig, shrugged, and - with no other ideas - gingerly rapped his knuckles against the brick closest to him. It shimmered for a moment before it and the bricks around it rippled like the aftermath of a stone dropped into a pond. Harry stepped back in shock as the headmaster's head and shoulders phased through the wall, looking around curiously. Pearly eyes widened as he spotted Harry.

"Harry, what a surprise! Please, come in." Talnus waved for him to come through, disappearing to the other side of the room. Harry, struck dumb with shock, could only follow through as instructed. He was surprised that he didn't feel anything when he went through the seemingly solid stone wall; it merely felt like a brush against his skin, and then nothing. It was unusually pleasant.

_I need to learn how to do that_, Harry inwardly mused, impressed. It had brought back pleasant memories of when he had first gone through Platform Nine and Three Quarters at age eleven, before the world had gone straight to hell.

Talnus placed himself in his seat, motioning for the young wizard to do the same.

"So, Harry, what has brought you to my office? Shouldn't you be in class?" Harry sighed and looked down, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No; Professor Quinones said we didn't have to stay in class on Fridays. And for the why, well…it's complicated."

"Talking about it will only make it simpler, I'm sure." He blinked at the headmaster's words of wisdom, realizing he was right.

"Alright." He took a deep breath, "Well, the issue is, um, how to put this…? I think that I'm someone's mate." Talnus sat up straighter, his face bright.

"Splendid, so what's the problem?"

"This someone is...one of my teachers."

"Professor Elenion, I presume?" Harry stared at him, shocked that he had guessed correctly without any prompting.

"How did you know that?"

"Well, Nar is the only teacher that you have without a mate or prospect." Green eyes blinked owlishly. A though hit him. Wait, if all of the teachers do, does that mean-

"Professor De la Sombras has a mate?" Harry blurted, blushing when he realized he had spoken the last part out loud. The sprite smiled wryly, unsurprised that Harry had been introduced to the summoner's special brand of charm.

"Yes; believe it or not, Mateo has been happily mated and married for the last few hundred years or so. Well, as happily as he'll let any of us know, though it is obvious whenever you see the two of them together. He practically glows - thankfully not literally, although a glowing demon would be a sight to see." Harry snickered at the unexpected visual, his mind's eye imagining the half-demon glowing quite well.

"Now," Talnus continued, a light-hearted smile dying a little on his face, "First things first: you and Nar will have to come to my office to make the relationship official. We have to have it documented that you are mates - everything is documented now a days, mating bonds included," He offered a wry smile, which Harry returned, "There are some limitations to your relationship that you have to adhere to. Firstly, you are allowed some intimate contact, but you can't have sex on campus. Such acts are prohibited while at school anyway, but Nar signed a written though still magically binding contract upon accepting this job. A spell was woven into the words that will alert me if he was to break said rule on campus. And since you're his mate, it would be obvious whom he broke it with."

"A-alright," Harry stammered, shifting awkwardly in his seat. He had not even begun to think that far ahead with Nar. Sure, he knew that would come eventually but, to hear it put so bluntly was..._embarrassing_. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be the only one of them that was embarrassed by it, if the slight pink stain on Talnus's cheeks told him anything.

"Secondly, I ask that you keep any _allowed_ intimate interactions between yourself and Nar as discreet as possible. People get bent out of shape when they see that anyone may be getting any special treatment; whether or not you're Nar's mate doesn't matter to some." Harry nodded. The rules so far were not imposing - in fact they made his life easier, as he wouldn't have to worry about going in _that_ direction any time soon.

"I can do that," Harry said with a nod.

"Good. Now, you have told Remus and Sirius, yes?" Harry nodded.

"Good; it's always better to have the parents on my side in situations like these..." He leaned back in his chair, seemingly pleased with how it had turned out. "So, anymore questions?"

"No, none that I can think of at the moment."

"Well, if you do think of something, feel free to stop by any time." Harry smiled, feeling so very light, and rose to shake the headmaster's hands.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this helps." Talnus returned the favor with a laugh.

"No problem. I'll see the two of you soon." Harry made his way toward the door, snagging Hedwig on the way out.

"See you," Harry called to him with a smile, leaving the room lighter than he had felt in a long time. He made his way to the courtyard to meet up with Hermione.

Talnus sighed and sat back into his chair, running his hand down his face. He had not known the young man for very long, but he had to admit he liked Harry quite a bit; it made lying - well, not lying, really, just smudging the truth - to the boy about how much he knew about him that much harder to accomplish.

He hoped it would be over soon.

* * *

Hermione looked up at the sound of feet approaching her. Harry stopped beside her and immediately she noticed how much brighter he seemed; how much more energized he had become.

"I'm guessing it went well?" Harry nodded, a smile spreading over his face.

"Amazingly."

"What do you plan to do now?" She asked as she rose to gather her own things and scoop Athena up into her arms.

"Test the waters for a bit, I guess; I want to wait for the right moment to tell him. For once, I'm not going to rush into this blindly. I wanna get to know him and then bring our relationship to the next level." Hermione nodded, her brow furrowing.

"Do you think the two of will be able to last that long? From what we read, it sounds like its going to be hell for you to wait that long."

"Probably not," Harry laughed, running his fingers through his hair, "But like I said, I wanna be prepared for what's coming. Not to mention that there's still so much that I haven't told him and I don't want to put him in danger, you know?" She placed her hand on his shoulder with a wry smile.

"I know, Harry; trust me." He smiled back at her.

"Now," He breathed out, "Let's head home. I'm sure Remus and Sirius are wondering where we are."

"Yeah, besides, there was this letter I found in my things after fourth period," Hermione pulled a nondescript, white envelope out from between two of her books. Harry plucked it from her hands and turned it back and forth. There was nothing on it except for her name written across the front in a slanted, compressed - albeit legible - cursive.

"Looks like a guy's handwriting."

"That's what I thought, but I'm just trying to figure out who would be sending me a letter." Harry smirked at her; she could see the tease coming before it left his mouth.

"A love letter, perhaps?" She rolled her eyes and swatted him on the shoulder, snatching it back. She grabbed them and apparated home before he could comment further - although Harry did notice the slightest hint of red across her cheeks.

* * *

_The next day_

Hermione looked around the area in front of Mystic Ridge's book store, Clashwind's Book Emporium (1), where she had come the first day they had gone shopping, a little nervous about who was waiting for her. She had opened the note she had received the night before and it had told her to come here, at noon. There had been no name and no inclination of who could have given her the letter, and though she had agreed to find out who it was that had requested her, she still had her wand armed and ready in case it was some creep - _Adrian, for example_, her mind supplied - asking her here with evil intentions.

She spotted someone, clearly male, with black hair, a navy blue button up shirt, and dark jeans leaning against the window near the door, just under the store sign. It couldn't be...She walked closer and the person looked up to look at her, pushing away from the wall. It was Kieran, whose handsome face broke out into a wry smile when she neared. He placed his hands in his pockets and an unreadable expression passed over his face.

"Hermione," He murmured.

"Kieran," she answered curtly, hiding her shock at seeing him here, and crossed her arms, "Are you the one who called me out here?" He rubbed the side of his face, looking almost sheepish.

"Yeah, it was me. I was...hoping you'd be willing to hang out with me, sometime. Today, actually." She snorted,

"Oh? Didn't seem like you wanted to hang out with me all that much earlier this week." He smirked and crossed his arms - probably just to annoy her - unable to stop himself from replying with a teasing remark.

"Bother you that much, did it?" She straightened and narrowed her eyes.

"I do not have time for this," She growled and spun on her heel, only to have a hand on her arm stop her.

"Hey, wait," she turned to him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry; teasing is what I do and it's really fun when you actually respond," his smirk faded to a small smile, as if he was saying something he knew could change things, "But would you blame if I said that I _wanted_ it to bother you?" She gave him a confused look, feeling warmth spread up her neck. He wasn't saying what she thought he was saying, was he?

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're an interesting girl, Hermione Granger. More interesting than half the girls I've met in my lifetime - and that's saying something." She rolled her eyes.

"And?"

"And, I like you; I never been more attracted to someone so quickly before." He stepped closer, his words making her blush darken.

"But...we just met," She murmured and her head jerked to the side as his hand came up to brush her hair behind her ear. His hand rested on her cheek and the feeling of his pleasantly cool touch sent a shock through her.

"I know, but I don't care." Their eyes held and she had to admit, standing here, with him, it felt..._good_. He was so handsome and he was into her, of all the people in the school. She was attractive, sure, but bookish and headstrong didn't seem like it would be his type - and yet, here he was, confessing to her, instead of the gaggle of fangirls she had seen with him when they had first met.

However, a sudden flash of red hair at the emotions that bubbled up had her pulling back and shaking her head. She wasn't ready to forget Ron just yet, asshole he had been or not. Her heart wasn't ready to move on; to let itself be vulnerable again.

He seemed to see her hesitation, for he had a confused expression on his face, "What's wrong?"

"I...can't; it's too soon after-," she cut off, sighing, "I'm sorry." She looked up at him and winced. He looked at her for a moment, his gaze searching and slightly hurt, and then pulled back, the romantic moment gone, a smile - looked slightly forced - sliding in place.

"It's all right. We can still be friends, though, right?" She smiled tentatively, surprised that he would be fine with just being friends after confessing something like that. It seemed almost too good to be true, but she would take it.

"Um, yeah; definitely." He smirked and ran his hands through his hair, a move that made him seem even more attractive.

"Do want to get some lunch? My treat." She opened her mouth to protest - that sounded too much like a _date_ - but he cut in,

"As friends, of course." She closed her mouth and smiled.

"Sure." They fell in step as he led them toward a nearby restaurant, conversation flowing easily between them. As Kieran had expected, they got along well together, teasing and all, and he found himself relaxing around her. He may have backed off for now, but that changed nothing. He vowed that he wasn't giving up on her, not without a fight; in fact, his brain could not comprehend giving up on her. Not with the underlying certainly that she was _his_ - his and his alone, and no blonde asshole stepping out of thin air would change that. Now that he was back in her good graces, he could be a buffer to protect her from that idiot, who was not worthy to be within five feet of this brilliant human. Not only that, but he saw the way she acted around the blonde; the jittery way she took on, the fact that she did her best to be as professional as possible around him - as if she didn't want to lead him on - proved that she already didn't like him. She had noticed something was off about the blonde and she was right. He had an unstable desire to get what he wanted, no matter the cost, even (and sometimes, _especially_) if it hurt others involved. He could protect her, _would_ protect her, from Adrian, no matter what.

He graciously opened the restaurant door for her and pulled her chair out like a gentleman when they were seated, noting with delight that she still blushed at his conduct despite her insistence that she wanted to be just friends.

If he had been paying more attention to his surroundings, he might have noticed the blue eyes watching the pair with anger. Adrian had never been a man to take competition well. He had had a leg up over Kieran when the human had thought he was ignoring her or didn't want her around, but the proud man had done the last thing he had expected: _humbled_ _himself_ - as much as he could manage - before a _human_. They were food; prey. It was the equivalent of a lion bowing before a gazelle. It was disgusting and disgraceful, but it certainly made things all the more interesting. It meant that Kieran had a weakness, something he could exploit should he see the need.

And if he was able to get to the human before Kieran did then, all the better.

* * *

Remus followed behind Tir as he ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. They were out in the forest behind Caliber's, completely surrounded by the sound of the fauna moving throughout the forest. What was most unusual was that the sounds had started to dim the further they went into the forest, like they sensed something dangerous was within it. He knew that all manner of creatures lived in here, but not something so predatory that all of the other animals would avoid it at all cost.

He glanced over at his student, watching as the young wolf moved through the trees with practiced ease, as if he had done this more than a few times. When Tir had asked him to meet him at the campus on Saturday - 'because there would be no one around,' he had said gravely - so that he could let him meet his 'friend,' Remus had been more than wary. There was a sad glint in his green eyes when he spoke of him - an alarming thing that made him think there was something _wrong_ with this friend of his.

"We're close," Tir murmured suddenly, stopping before an overhanging of trees that covered the way before them and turning to Remus, "He's just through here." He paused as if waiting to see if the elder was ready, so Remus nodded quickly. The blonde breathed in deeply, as if gaining confidence, and pushed the branches aside.

Behind them was a outcrop of rock, suddenly sprouting from the ground like a pimple on the earth. It was round at the top and he could see a black opening of what looked like a cave. He noticed that the sounds of the wood-life had completely stopped - this cave had to be the source of the animal's fear.

"Is he-?" He motioned toward the opening, the 'in there?' at the end of his sentence was understood.

"Yes," Tir breathed, his eyes taking on the same sad glint from before. The blonde walked toward the cave as quietly as he could, crouching down when he got the opening. He waved Remus over vigorously and the older wolf did his best to follow him, slipping once or twice over the slick rocks before he reached his student. Tir motioned for him to be as silent as possible with a finger to his mouth.

He waited a moment as if listening before walking into the inky opening. Remus followed behind him tentatively. The moment he entered the small cave, he knew something was wrong. The hairs on the back of his neck immediately stood up in alarm; something was in here, something dangerous. He couldn't see due to the sudden contrast of light, but his other senses would compensate.

He heard it then, the barely audible sound of heavy breaths, rough and growly, in the small alcove with them. He grabbed for Tir, clamping his hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"What-?" Suddenly, he heard the scraping of claws against stone on his left and he instinctively threw the younger male behind him, whipping around to face what was coming. It stopped inches before his face, warmth breath washing over his face in fast, strong waves. He could see glowing amber eyes clearly in the inky black and he was slowly starting to see a silhouette of someone standing in front of him, taller than him by nearly a head and very broad; it looked vaguely like a human, but those _eyes_...It couldn't be a what he thought it was...The full moon wasn't for another month!

"Woah, woah," Tir said soothingly, moving out from behind him. Remus made to pull him back, knowing that this creature was dangerous, but the blonde shook his hand off. As his vision cleared, he could see the blonde reach out and place his hand on what was definitely a canine snout, dragging it down and clearly petting the creature. The movement had an immediate affect, its breathing slowing and it backing off.

Tir turned to him when he saw the creature had calmed.

"This is the friend I was telling you about," He walked the creature over to the farthest wall, where it laid down at his command. Tir sat down beside him, uncaring of the earthen floor, and Remus followed them, tentatively taking a seat before the blonde. The wolf growled warningly but made no move toward him.

"What-Is he a werewolf?"

"Yes; he's my cousin, Ryan Pembroke," Tir explained, turning mournful eyes to the curled wolf.

"What happened to him?"

"He went on a trip to the United Kingdom last month and when he came back he was like..._this_."

"The United Kingom," Remus repeated, his mouth going dry and heart beat picking up speed. If he had run into a dark wizard overseas..."Where did he go? Was he always a wolf or did he get bitten?"

"He had just gone to sightsee in London, to see Diagon Alley and places like that, but he had to come home early because of the attack. And no, he wasn't always a wolf; lycanthropy doesn't run in my family and even if it did, he wouldn't have been a wolf anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"He was a squib. The werewolf gene is carried along with the magic and since he didn't have the magic, he wouldn't have the gene. However, the werewolf bite is magic in its own right, so now he has the amount of magic needed to turn."

"So were you bitten?"

"Yes; I was the only wolf in my family until him. That's why I have no idea what to do." Remus nodded, blown away by the information.

"So, how did he end up in his wolf form?" Tir sighed, rubbing his face with his palm.

"I don't know; he wasn't transformed when he got back home. I mean, I knew he had been bitten, but he wasn't showing any unusual signs until a few days ago. He suddenly started to transform in broad daylight. I've...I've never seen anything like this."

"Neither have I. I didn't know it was possible for us to transform before the full moon."

"I know. I think something else happened to him when he was in England. He was spooked and I thought that he was just shaken from the attack, but there were a few days where he was unaccounted for; for all we know, _anything_ could have happened to him during that time." Remus rubbed the back of his neck, breathing deeply as he tried to get a handle on what was happening. This was something he had never expected and he could tell that Tir was looking for someone to reassure him - Remus just didn't think he knew how to. He wasn't entirely sure that he could help him or get the young man back to his human form, but he would try.

"So...I'm thinking he either had an unusual reaction to the bite or the transformation was forced on him somehow."

"How is that even possible?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Suddenly, Remus's eyes took a determined glint as they roamed over the two young men, finally catching the amber gaze of the curled wolf, "But I plan to find out."

He rose and left, praying he wouldn't betray the hope shining in Tir's eyes.

* * *

No.1: I just realized that I never told you guys the bookstore's name...so that's what it is! (totally didn't use an RPG name generator to get that name or anything...) :3

* * *

Title is pretty self-explanatory, for once haha

Hope you guys liked it and I hope it was worth the wait~ Review please!


	25. Chapter 25

Oh my God, you guys, I am so sorry this update took so friggin' long. I only have an excuse for why I didn't update in November and December (I was doing the National Novel Writing Month contest in November, which I failed but I got a really cool story out of it and had a lot of fun, and writing more of it in December while dealing with crazy holiday times) but otherwise...it was just sad how long this took. I hope this update will make you all love me again! D:

* * *

**Beta: harryfan160889**

* * *

_**Last time on Bestiae Mortis:**_

_Talnus sighed and sat back into his chair, running his hand down his face. He had not known the young man for very long, but he had to admit he liked Harry quite a bit; it made lying - well, not lying, really, just smudging the truth - to the boy about how much he knew about him that much harder to accomplish._

_He hoped it would be over soon._

* * *

_If he had been paying more attention to his surroundings, he might have noticed the blue eyes watching the pair with anger. Adrian had never been a man to take competition well. He had had a leg up over Kieran when the human had thought he was ignoring her or didn't want her around, but the proud man had done the last thing he had expected: humbled himself - as much as he could manage - before a human. They were food; prey. It was the equivalent of a lion bowing before a gazelle. It was disgusting and disgraceful, but it certainly made things all the more interesting. It meant that Kieran had a weakness, something he could exploit should he see the need._

_And if he was able to get to the human before Kieran did then, all the better._

* * *

_"Honestly, I don't know." Suddenly, Remus's eyes took a determined glint as they roamed over the two young men, finally catching the amber gaze of the curled wolf, "But I plan to find out."_

He rose and left, praying he wouldn't betray the hope shining in Tir's eyes.

* * *

_Chapter 25: Cogitationes_

Screams could be heard echoing throughout the room, the cathedral ceiling slinging the sounds back at each other and to each wall. The sounds of bones cracking, elongating, and readjusting grated against her ears. Narcissa gave a small sniff, flinching almost imperceptibly at the pained sounds coming from the writhing man before her. She could see the tufts of hair spreading along his back and the bulges of a spine too big for his human body pulling at the scarred skin as his inner wolf forced its way out. The wolf-man reared back and howled, the eerie sound making the hairs on the nape of her neck stand tall.

The wolf dropped back to the ground, now all animal, and started prowling around. He sniffed the air, amber eyes sliding to the stare at the humans watching it. Its path eventually brought it to the two pureblooded witches, Narcissa and Bellatrix, and stopped; its hackles expertly shifted as it dropped its body down a hair closer to the floor. She could feel the intent behind every muscle, every second his gaze lingered on her. Instinctively, the blonde noble backed up, her hand clasping the slim one of her sister. Bellatrix shot her an irritated look and stepped forward, wringing herself out of the grip, a sneer on her lovely face.

"What do you want, mutt?" She jeered, stepping closer to it and never looking away when their eyes met.

"Bella-" The blonde stepped forward as her sister neared the creature, moving to pull her away; before she could, the wolf snarled and leapt toward the two of them. Narcissa gave a tiny cry, her control slipping for a moment, and yanked her sister back to her with a jostling move. There was no need, however, for the wolf hit an invisible wall inches in front of them, the air in front of them shimmering a light blue, and was knocked back a foot.

Bella let out a high giggle, clapping her hands and jumping in excitement.

"It worked!" She turned to her sister with childish glee in her eyes, unusual in such a cold woman.

Her glee was cut short as a low, threatening rumble came from beside them. A being, more wolf than man, was the source, his startlingly intelligent eyes focused on the other wolf in the room. The wolf had righted itself and had turned its attention back to the women in a few moments, but now it was looking back to him with flattened ears and wide eyes. Eventually, it whined plaintively and backed down, pressing its belly low to the floor and tilting its neck back. The almost-man straightened and a wicked grin fell over his scraggly face, sharp teeth poking out beneath his bottom lip.

Fenrir Greyback is fearsome indeed, Narcissa mused inwardly with a terrified awe. He was a huge man, hairy and animalistic in a way that made her nervous. She knew the Dark Lord had purposely factored the alpha into his plans, and that had not been a problem in the beginning; the wolves had not come to many of the meetings and it had become easy to forget that they were even involved. However, with the new twist that her Lord's mind had conjured, they were around all the time; prowling, watching, waiting, predatorily eying the "humans" like they were an exhibit - or, to put it better, _prey_. More than once she had felt a calculatingly disdainful eye on her person and more than once she'd been affronted by the blatant disregard for social cues - namely, the fact that she was a lady and they were not worth her time.

Her sister had been oblivious to her sensibilities and had enjoyed the power simply because the Dark Lord did. Her devotion to their leader was admirable in its durability though worrying in its voracity. Bellatrix had a way of believing in something almost to the point of obsession and sometimes it scared it her, but she trusted her sister enough to know that she was infinitely protective of her family(however, the Dark Lord had admittedly never made her choose...).

The door suddenly opening shook the thought from her mind. She looked up to see the pale figure of her Lord gliding through the door like a ghost and bowed with everyone when he entered. Bella was the first to straighten, her fair face bright beneath her dark curls.

"My Lord, your plan has worked, as we all knew it would," She swept her gaze around the room to the others, clearly searching for any faces of disagreement. When she saw none, she looked back at him once more. Her face begged for his approval.

He smiled chillingly at her and then turned to the creature. He stepped close to the shield and the wolf seemed to get some spark back into it; it rose slowly, hackles high, and growled at him. He did not respond, simply eying the creature. There was an air of pride around him; he had defied the laws of nature, forced a change that otherwise would never have happened. It was just one step in his inevitable take over the world; one example of how he was destined to change it for good.

Surprisingly, Fenrir did nothing, smirking when he watched the new member of his pack challenge the man who had the gall to believe he actually had _control_ over any of them. Behind all that power was still a man; a man that could be ripped apart should he overstepped his bounds, no matter how many times he parsed his soul. He would be more than willing to let his new pup do that for him and he was sure that if not for the shield, the Dark Lord would be fighting for his survival. A transformed, confused werewolf was a formidable enemy and he would_ love_ to see how a battle between the two would carry out.

Nevertheless, this man seemed pleased; clearly whatever results he had expected had either been met or exceeded by this new development.

Fenrir could understand the feeling. He loved that a way to make his pups wolves all the time had been found. He cared little for what humanity he had once had - humanity meant weakness and he despised that more than anything. To have that weakness stripped from him was his dream, and his pack would accept this without protest, as they had always accepted his rule. The wolf before them was an omega that had been volunteered for the experiment and now that he knew it worked, he would be bringing them all in so that they may all revel in the glory of power.

"Greyback, it seems your wolf has passed the test." The icy voiced snatched his attention to the human's alpha. He rumbled his acquiescence, at once an answer and a sound of approval to the omega. The only evidence that he was heard was a tweak of the wolf's ears, but it was clear that he knew that his alpha was pleased.

"Ladies and gentleman, you have now paid witness to our secret weapon," Lord Voldemort projected, swiping his arms wide. The Death Eaters all looked to him, pleased because their Lord was, "And soon we will have an army of these beasts at our disposal!" He ignored the indignant growl from the wolf-man beside him. Around the room, they all clapped in enthusiasm, some merely because they were expected to.

"Now, all of you, out of my sight." Without needing to be told, Narcissa and Bellatrix stayed; it had become obvious that, unless otherwise spoken, he always wanted the two women with him. Not, at least on Narcissa's part, in a lascivious way. She didn't believe he had much of that left in him, with all the rage and revenge filling his being.

Greyback stayed, as well, but mainly because he refused to follow the commands of anyone in true alpha character, even the man he had decided to throw his lot in with. It seemed to be what the Dark Lord wanted, anyway, so all was well.

Once the room cleared, the revived leader turned Greyback with a glee that matched his loyal witch's.

"You will subject your wolves to the treatment within three days." Greyback looked as if he wanted to protest someone telling him what to do with_ his wolves_, but even he knew it was counter productive.

"I will gather them," he said; no more, no less.

"My Lord," Bellatrix cut in, never one to care about the sanctity of other's conversations, "Your genius never ceases to amaze. But, if I may, what are we to do about..._the American_?" She said it with a sneer, more pronounced than the one she had permanently plastered on her face.

Ryan Pembroke had been a mistake from the beginning, though not one that had been able to be avoided. When their lord had told Narcissa and Bellatrix of his plan of creating an army of wolves to work for them, it had seemed like it couldn't be done, but he had proven more than once that if anyone was going to do the impossible, it would be him. Finding the way to bring about the results they wanted had been harder.

He sent Narcissa and Bellatrix on the task of finding the correct method; he trusted their judgement and skill in both areas - the Lady Malfoy having been excellent at potions and her sister more than proficient in the use of spells. Being placed in the center of such a vital part of their lord's plans had quelled any protests the blonde might have had (as a noblewoman in the public eye and a wife to a suspicious husband, it was and had been hard for Narcissa to keep up appearances of normalcy; she was lucky that Lucius was so focused on his darling Severus that he didn't notice her sudden interest in potions).

However, finding the right method had proven more difficult than either of them had expected; it took days of scouring and more than one sleepless night until they happened upon the correct one. They had been forced to look outside the typical books, going so far as to check several languages before they found the one that would work. It was a revealing spell, an archaic one from the time before the founders. It meant 'reveal yourself' in Welsh and it would force a creature, such as a werewolf but it could be as simple as someone with a glamour spell or polyjuice potion, to revert to their true form and stay in it until a counter spell - something as simple as 'finite incantem' - was said by the caster to change them back.

In short, it was exactly what they needed.

They had gone to their lord when it was found despite the hour - half past one in the morning - and the delight on his face had warmed them both to the bone. It was unusual to get such immediate and plain gratification from him.

Immediately, they had set about finding test subjects and at that exact moment they got wind of a werewolf attack just outside of Knockturn Alley. There had been a murmur for a few days of a squib - an _American_ squib - snooping in the area, a place a man like himself would never had ventured into if not armed with youthful arrogance and a tourist's ignorance. The squib had been asking too many questions and ruffling the shopkeeps' feathers during his stay; therefore, it had not taken long for the news to reach them. The people had wanted them gone and they needed a new test subject. The solution had been easy.

In the end, Dumbledore's iron grip on information had worked in their favor; no American who knew anything about the true nature of England would have allowed themselves to be such an easy target; it had been pathetic, really, how easy it had been to snatch him up off the street. The spell had been cast while he was unconscious within hours of his arrival, the bite - given by the wolf that had tried to attack the dark wizard mere moments ago - taking its toll on his body. They had only to wait for the effects to take place. He was a squib, so there was no excess magic to aid in the forcing of the transformation, or so they believed, so it was estimated that it would take longer to catch.

They shouldn't have waited, they came to realize; they had underestimated the squib's intelligence and capability in their disdain of his kind - the idea that a _squib_ could have gotten out of a Death Eater cell unaided baffled them even now - and now he was gone, most likely escaped to his home. Their only saving grace was his lack of knowledge of who they were, so he would likely not be able to tell anyone of his story if the spell didn't work or be stuck in a wolf form with no way to speak, likely wreaking havoc. It was only the success of their newest trial that led them to believe that he had transformed at all.

"Do not worry, my dear; we will find him when the time comes," Voldemort deflected, smiling as if he believed she was ridiculous to worry. Perhaps he already had a plan in place, or perhaps the success overshadowed that one little mistake, but either way he seemed happy, as happy as he was capable of, in any case.

"Of course, my Lord." She bowed her head.

"Narcissa," the blonde witch jerked in surprise, looking up to him Her blue eyes caught his for a moment and then fell, unable to hold his gaze for long.

"Yes, my lord?"

"From now on, I want you to watch that husband of yours more closely. He and his crow are planning something and I want to know what." She swallowed; she had had no idea of any idiosyncrasies in her husband's actions lately and it worried her that she may not have been paying enough attention. At least the side project would give her a good reason for negligence.

"Yes, my lord." Voldemort nodded, whirling toward the door. He gave no word to the group as he left, leaving them to decipher what he wanted from them.

The two sisters shared a look of surprise before they silently decided to leave together; Narcissa would go home after seeing Bellatrix off, knowing their lord would want her to begin her task as soon as possible.

She dared not look at the alpha, whose piercing blue eyes she could feel on her back, refusing to show any manner of intimidation despite the fact that she unmistakably was. She ket her head high, sparing a side-glance at the wolf prowling inside the protective shield. He looked mournfully after her.

* * *

Two pairs of piercing eyes followed his path as Neville paced wearily, running a hand through already mussed locks. A soft trill caught his attention to the beautiful bird perched on the couch beside Luna; her icy eyes watched him with more worry than she showed. He had been worrying over the troubling letter they had received; it was clear that he was not certain if he should trust the words of a Malfoy, but what choice did he have? If they were telling the truth, then he would be a fool not to take action. Luna tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear with a inaudible sigh, the gum wrapper earring swinging with the motion.

"Nev, Luna," a familiar voice called, as the door suddenly opened, "We have arrived!" A smile broke out onto his face, one that was echoed in Luna's, and it widened when the lanky redheads appeared in the doorway. Fred and George were just as happy to see them, if the grins on their faces were anything to go by. They rushed in, engulfing Luna and then Neville in a large hug. Neville laughed, their enthusiasm already lifting his spirits.

"It's good to see the two of you," Neville murmured, "How did you get in?"

"We shall never tell." George answered, a mischievous smile on his face. Nev found he really didn't want to know.

"It's good to see you too, Nev, Luna," Fred intoned, George nodding vigorously as he pulled his arms from Luna's hold. They turned as one to gaze at Fawkes, their blue eyes lighting up excitedly. They reached out to pet him and the bird allowed it, wise golden eyes following each stroke intently. Neville could see the gears turning in their crafty little heads.

"Whatever you're thinking about that involves him, don't," He chastised playfully, though he was half-serious. He didn't know what would happen if they annoyed or angered the phoenix, but he wasn't thrilled to find out.

The twins rolled their eyes but stepped back nonetheless, preferring to sit on either side of the bird. Luna perched herself on the arm of the couch and waited for him to start.

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice." Fred waved him off.

"It's alright; we didn't really have anything to do at the shop in the first place."

"You got everything set up at the shop so no one knows anything?"

"Of course, what kind of men do you take us for?" Neville smiled and shook his head.

"So, Nev, let's see that letter Malfoy sent." He plucked the letter from his pocket and placed it in George's outstretched hand. The twin unfolded it for the both of them to read it. Neville knew every word by heart; he had read and reread that letter so many times that it was burned into his brain.

_Longbottom,_

_We need to talk. AD is up to something and we need your help. Send a letter back to our bat as soon as you can._

_DM_

It was a short missive, cryptic in the annoying way that made you want to know more, but the fact that it had come from _Draco Malfoy_ gave him pause. How was he supposed to know if was telling the truth? What 'bat' was he talking about?

"What reason would Malfoy have to seek us out?"

"No idea. It must be grave, if he would be willing to seek out Light wizards in times like these," Neville sighed.

"And you're sure it's Malfoy and not some hoax?"

"We thought of that, and that's why we are going to send a letter back to make sure when we figure out where he wants us to send it." He paused a moment, "And not with Fawkes; we have a better idea of what to do about him." The twins perked up at that, curious.

"Well go on, Nev, spit it out." The young wizard smiled at their impatience.

"We're sending him over to Harry; that way, if it's not Malfoy, Fawkes will be where he can't be used against us or be taken." He glanced at the bird. He knew Fawkes understood their words, but if he had any objections, he didn't seem to be making them known. The phoenix simply stared at them intently as if waiting for when he would be sent on his way. "Besides," He continued, "He came to Harry's rescue before, so maybe he won't mind being there."

"He's sad," Luna cut in suddenly, her bright blue eyes focused on Fawkes. "He's been cut off from his owner and he will need someone else to keep him well." The men blinked in surprise at her assertion. Neville hadn't noticed anything particularly _wrong_ with the bird, but he supposed it made sense. The bird would have never come here if he were still so strongly connected to Dumbledore, and not so willingly. Clearly, they would need to send him somewhere he could be taken care of and maybe reform the connection. And what an asset it would be if he were to connect with Harry!

"And you'll send the house owl to Malfoy?" Neville nodded.

"Certainly not to Malfoy Manor, I hope." George took on a serious expression, for once, "It would be strange if an owl was seen heading toward the Malfoy Manor from here."

"We'll send him to whatever bat he's talking about, when we find out what he means." At that, George snorted.

"That one's easy, Nev, you've just got to think."

"Yeah," Fred added, shifting so he could give the smaller male a bemused look, "Who do you know that reminds you of a crow and is related in some way to Malfoy?"

The idea hit him so easily he blushed. _Of course_; Professor Snape should have been the first person he had thought of at the word 'bat.' It made complete sense; it would be more believable to think that he would be speaking to Snape than Malfoy, and the travel from their house to a man of lower stature would be less watched.

"And where does he live?"

"The last house on Spinner's End, of course. Honestly, Nev, didn't you learn anything about your teachers?" Neville glared lightly at George, who had spoken, only to receive a smirk in return. They all knew Snape was a teacher that even now struck fear in him, even though he was no longer a student. He was the last person Neville would want to learn anything about.

"Anyway," He said pointedly, "We send an owl to Spinner's End, and Fawkes to Harry, and finally sort out this mess."

The door suddenly flew open, revealing his Gran in one of her hideous tea hats. Her suspicious eyes slid over the gathered people, clearly wary of having them all in the room. She had been out at a gathering with their neighbors, women around her age. Augusta had been delighted about finding out that someone else was going to be with them (so that he wouldn't be left in the house alone with Luna, no doubt, though she still found it unseemly for a respectable young woman to be alone with three men). Neville had thought her outing would have lasted a little longer than it had. Likely, she hadn't wanted to leave him and Luna alone for too long.

"Uh, hey, Gran," He said awkwardly. Her eyes immediately alighted to the phoenix, who blinked at her slowly. Her mouth dropped open for a moment, before snapping back closed and pinching in distaste.

"Neville, _why_ is that_ bird_ on my _couch_?"

* * *

When Blaise entered the library at Spinner's End, he was instantly worried. Snape and Lucius were conversing urgently but quietly off to the side, both men looking far older than they should and Draco was sitting, reading a book with clenched hands. The blonde kept scanning his eyes over the same page over and over again, his mouth pressed into a tight line.

Clearly, it was time to get him out of here.

He moved silently to his lover and tapped him on the shoulder. Icy eyes snapped to him for a moment, sharp words clearly on his lips, but it died when he realized who was tapping his shoulder. Those eyes softened minutely and he saw Draco's slim shoulders relax. He placed his book down on the table primly and turned to him.

"Do you need something, Blaise?"

"Come with me." He grabbed the blonde's hand and led him to the bedroom they were sharing. The blonde wizard rolled his eyes, but acquiesced with a tiny smile on his face. Blaise pushed Draco inside and shut the door behind him, leaning against it and simply staring at the blonde. Draco waited for something, but his lover's eyes simply stared at him. He started to get embarrased and snapped,

"_What_?" Blaise smirked and shook his head, coming up to the younger Malfoy.

"Nothing," He murmured quietly, sliding his arms around his slim waist and pulling them together. Draco scowled to hide his flush, but he didn't try to pull away from him. In fact, he rested his head against his shoulder, turning to press his nose against Blaise's neck. They stayed in silence, embracing one another while contemplating their own thoughts, before Draco finally asked,

"What are we going to do if they refuse?" Blaise sighed softly.

"I don't know; we'll figure it out when we get there." he could feel Draco smile against his skin.

"I don't like...not knowing. Slytherins always have a plan."

"Not this time, Drake. Not this time."

His only answer was Draco tightening his hold on him and exhaling against his neck.

* * *

A/N: I hope the random fluff is enough compensation for my slacking! Also, the title means 'plans,' which is kinda lame, but eh, well...I felt like it fit.

Read and Review please!


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